Ají de Gallina — Creamy Peruvian Chicken Breast

Ingredients

• 1½ lb Chicken Breast
• 3 tbsp ají amarillo paste (or sriracha + turmeric as ever)
• 1 onion + 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 slices bread, soaked in ¾ cup milk
• ⅓ cup walnuts or pecans
• ⅓ cup grated parmesan
• 2 tbsp oil
• Boiled potatoes, rice, olives, and halved boiled eggs, to serve

Method

1. Poach the Chicken Breast in salted water until cooked (165°F), 12–15 minutes. Shred it and keep a cup of the broth.
2. Blend the milk-soaked bread with the walnuts into a thick cream — the traditional thickener, older than roux and better company.
3. Soften the onion and garlic in the oil, add the ají paste, and fry 2 minutes until the kitchen turns golden.
4. Stir in the bread-walnut cream and a splash of poaching broth; simmer 5 minutes to a spoon-coating sauce. Add the parmesan, then the shredded Chicken Breast, and warm through.
5. Serve over boiled potatoes and rice, decorated with olives and boiled egg — the classic Lima plate. Creamy, nutty, gently fiery: comfort with a passport.