Peruvian Creamed Chili Chicken (Ají de Gallina) — Silky Ají Amarillo Chicken Stew

• 900 gboneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1.5 lwater
• 1yellow onion (halved)
• 1carrot (cut into large pieces)
• 1celery stalk (cut into large pieces)
• 1 leafbay leaf
• 2 tspfine sea salt
• 4 slicewhite sandwich bread (crusts removed)
• 300 mlwhole milk
• 3 tbspvegetable oil
• 1red onion (finely diced)
• 4 clovegarlic (minced)
• 5 tbspají amarillo paste
• 0.5 tspground cumin
• 0.25 tspground turmeric (optional, for deeper golden color)
• 60 gwalnuts
• 200 mlevaporated milk
• 45 ggrated Parmesan cheese
• 0.5 tspfreshly ground black pepper
• 3 cupcooked white rice
• 3yellow potatoes (boiled, peeled, and sliced)
• 2eggs (hard-boiled and quartered)
• 6black olives
• 6 sprigflat-leaf parsley (leaves chopped)

Instructions

1. 1

   Place the chicken breasts, water, halved yellow onion, carrot, celery, bay leaf, and 1.5 tsp of the salt in a medium pot. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat, then reduce the heat and cook for 20 to 25 minutes, until the chicken reaches 74°C in the thickest part.

2. 2

   Transfer the chicken to a plate and let it cool until easy to handle, then shred it into thin strands with two forks. Strain the broth through a fine sieve, discard the vegetables and bay leaf, and reserve 500 ml of the broth for the sauce.

3. 3

   Put the bread slices in a bowl and pour the whole milk over them, pressing lightly so the bread absorbs the liquid evenly. Let the mixture stand for 10 minutes, then mash it with a fork into a soft paste with no dry pieces remaining.

4. 4

   Heat the vegetable oil in a wide saucepan over medium heat and add the diced red onion. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring often, until the onion is soft and lightly golden but not browned.

5. 5

   Add the minced garlic, ají amarillo paste, cumin, turmeric, remaining 0.5 tsp salt, and black pepper to the saucepan. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly, so the chile paste becomes fragrant and the raw garlic flavor mellows.

6. 6

   Blend the soaked bread mixture with the walnuts, evaporated milk, Parmesan cheese, and 250 ml of the reserved chicken broth until smooth. Pour this mixture into the saucepan and stir well to combine it with the ají amarillo base.

7. 7

   Simmer the sauce over low heat for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring frequently because the bread and cheese can catch on the bottom. Add the shredded chicken and another 150 to 250 ml reserved broth as needed, keeping the texture creamy and spoonable rather than stiff.

8. 8

   Taste the sauce and adjust only with the measured seasoning already included by simmering a few minutes longer if it seems thin. Arrange sliced boiled potatoes on plates, spoon the ají de gallina over them, and serve with white rice, hard-boiled egg wedges, black olives, and chopped parsley.