Aji de gallina (Peruvian chicken)
This Peruvian chicken stew is comforting and delicious (plus it's great for leftovers too!)
Ingredients
- 3 ¾ cups chicken approx (see note 1 to cook from scratch, cooked
- 2 lices bread or 3, if small, crusts removed
- ⅓ cup milk
- 1 onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 3 tablespoon walnuts
- 3 tablespoon Parmesan Cheese or a little more, to taste, grated
- 2 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 teaspoon aji amarillo chili paste or more to taste
- ¼ teaspoon Turmeric
- ½ cup chicken stock (or reserved poaching liquid)
Instructions
- Poach the chicken (if making from scratch - see details in note 1 below) then once cool enough to handle, shred it up. Alternatively, shred leftover cooked chicken.
- Soak the bread in the milk for a few minutes. Dice the onion in a small dice and finely dice the garlic.
- Put the soaked bread, walnuts and parmesan in a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.
- Warm the oil in a medium pan and add the onion. Cook a few minutes until softened then add the garlic, aji amarillo and turmeric and cook a minute more.
- Add the bread-walnut mixture, the chicken and around ½ cup (120ml) of cooking water from the chicken or stock. You can add a little more or less to taste - it should be moist but not runny. Mix well and simmer for around 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
- If cooking chicken from scratch - put 1lb (450g) chicken breast plus 1lb (450g) chicken legs on the bone in a pot with 1 carrot, ½ onion and any parsley, chard stems etc you have. Add 5 cups (1 ¼ litres) water and some salt and pepper. Bring to simmer and poach for around 20 - 45 min depending on thickness until cooked through. You may want to remove the breast sooner as it may cook quicker. Remove chicken, cool and shred.
- Note cooking time does not include time to cook the chicken from scratch.
- You could also use leftover turkey in this recipe.
- Many recipes use evaporated milk rather than fresh - you can use this if you prefer but it's not an ingredient we typically have and fresh milk works fine.
- This dish is typically served with white rice, boiled and sliced yellow potatoes and hard boiled eggs on the side.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 4 (or
Amount Per Serving
Calories 255
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 255kcal | 13% |
| Carbohydrates | 25g | 8% |
| Protein | 8g | 16% |
| Fat | 14g | 22% |
| Saturated Fat | 7g | 35% |
| Cholesterol | 6mg | 2% |
| Sodium | 275mg | 11% |
| Potassium | 182mg | 4% |
| Fiber | 2g | 8% |
| Sugar | 4g | 8% |
| Vitamin A | 65IU | 1% |
| Vitamin C | 3mg | 3% |
| Calcium | 95mg | 10% |
| Iron | 2mg | 11% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.