Aji de Gallina

I had this Peruvian dish a while back and fell in love with it. It's creamy texture and spicy flavor is perfect for fall weather and it makes a nice comfort food dish. It's traditionally served over sliced boiled potatoes with a side of rice and salsa criolla (onions marinated in lime juice, cilantro, serrano and seasoning.) Because I think there is enough starch with the potatoes, I skip the rice when I serve this.

I did a lot of research when I decided to do this dish. It's a simple one to make and most recipes you'll find are typically the same. The only modifications I made to the more traditional versions, was adding more garlic and using two different types of chilies. The chilies that are used are from Peru and are hard to find unless you order them online or know of a local Latin market that caries them. If you can not find them, substitute them with habanero or serrano.

For the Chicken:

4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 cups chicken stock
water
4 medium to large red potatoes
4 whole garlic cloves
1 tbs butter
1tbs olive oil
1 large red onion, thinly sliced
3 large garlic cloves, minced
5 tbs aji amarillo chili paste
4 tbs rocoto chili paste
12oz can evaporated milk
1 cup shredded queso oaxaco or farmers cheese
6-8 saltine crackers
2oz chopped walnuts
2 hard boiled eggs, sliced


For the Salsa Criolla:

2 red onions, sliced very thin
1 serrano, chopped
2 tbs chopped cilantro
2 tbs lime juice
1 tbs vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste

To prepare salsa criolla:
Soak onion slices in a bowl of cold water for 20 minutes, changing water once. Drain onions and in a bowl, add onions and remaining ingredients. Cover and marinate at room temperature at least 30 minutes before serving.

To prepare the chicken:

Place chicken, stock, garlic cloves and enough water to cover chicken in a large covered pot. Bring to a boil, partially cover, reduce to a simmer and cook through, about 30-45 minutes. When done, remove from liquid, cover and set aside. Place potatoes in same pot chicken was removed from and simmer until fork tender. Turn off heat and let sit.

In a large pan, melt butter and oil. Add onion and cook until translucent. Add minced garlic and chili pastes and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. In a blender add milk, 1 cup of cooking liquid, cheese, crackers and walnuts. Puree until smooth adding more cooking liquid if too thick or more crackers if too thin. Sauce should be the thickness of pea soup or to your liking. Add sauce to pan with onions, garlic and chili mixture and bring to a simmer. Meanwhile, shred or cut chicken into bite size pieces. Add to sauce and cook for about 10 minutes adding cooking liquid if needed to thin. Remove potatoes from pot with cooking liquid, pat dry and let cool slightly. Slice each potato into even rounds and divide among serving plates. Top with chicken and sauce and then top each with slices of hard boiled egg. Serve with salsa criolla on side.