Peruvian Ají de Gallina: Shredded Chicken in Yellow Chili and Pecan Sauce

What you need

• 600 g (1.3 lb) boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 carrot, cut into chunks
• 1 celery stalk, cut into chunks
• 2 onions, 1 quartered for the stock, 1 finely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, 2 whole for the stock, 2 minced
• 4 slices white sandwich bread, crusts removed
• 340 ml (12 oz can) evaporated milk
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• 5 tbsp ají amarillo paste
• 2 tbsp ají mirasol paste, optional
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 50 g (1/2 cup) pecans, or walnuts
• 50 g (1/2 cup) parmesan, finely grated
• salt and black pepper, to taste
• 4 yellow potatoes, boiled and halved, for serving
• 2 hard-boiled eggs, halved, for serving
• 8 black olives, for serving
• cooked white rice, for serving

Method

Restated from the original video

1. 1

   Put the chicken in a pot with the carrot, celery, the quartered onion, the 2 whole garlic cloves and a good pinch of salt. Cover with 1.5 l (6 cups) cold water.

2. 2

   Bring to a gentle simmer and poach without boiling hard until the chicken reaches 74 °C (165 °F) in the thickest part, 25-30 min.

3. 3

   Lift out the chicken, strain the stock and keep 500 ml (2 cups) of it. Pull the chicken into thin shreds once it is cool enough to touch.

4. 4

   Tear the bread into a bowl, pour over half the evaporated milk and leave it to soak for 10 min.

5. 5

   Blend the soaked bread with its milk and the pecans until smooth. Add a splash more milk if the blender struggles.

6. 6

   Heat the oil in a wide pot over medium heat. Fry the chopped onion and the 2 minced garlic cloves until soft and translucent, 6-8 min.

7. 7

   Stir in the ají amarillo paste, the ají mirasol paste if using, and the cumin. Cook, stirring, until the onion takes on the color of the chilies and the oil starts to separate, 5-7 min.

8. 8

   Add the bread and pecan mixture and 250 ml (1 cup) of the reserved stock. Simmer on low, stirring often so it does not catch, until thick and creamy, about 10 min.

9. 9

   Stir in the shredded chicken, the parmesan and the rest of the evaporated milk. Heat through for 3-5 min, loosening with more stock if it gets stiff.

10. 10

    Season with salt and pepper.

11. 11

    Serve over rice with the potatoes, the halved eggs and the black olives on the side.

Imported from comida-peruana.com. Recipe Grab pulled out what you need to cook it; the video stays where its author put it.