Aji de Gallina

Ingredients

• 1kg chicken breasts, on the bone if possible
• 1.5 litres chicken stock or water
• 1 carrot
• 1 celery stick
• 1 bay leaf
• 5 slices stale white bread, crusts removed
• 400ml evaporated milk
• 1 large red onion
• 5 garlic cloves
• 5 tbsp aji amarillo paste
• 80g walnut halves
• 60g finely grated parmesan
• 1 tsp ground turmeric
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 4 tbsp vegetable oil
• 600g waxy yellow potatoes
• 3 eggs
• 16 black botija olives
• Sea salt and black pepper
• 400g long grain white rice, cooked, to serve

Before you cook

• Peel and roughly chop the carrot, and cut the celery into three pieces
• Tear the bread into pieces and put it in a bowl with 250ml of the evaporated milk to soak
• Peel the red onion and chop it very finely
• Crush the garlic cloves to a paste
• Scrub the potatoes but leave them whole and unpeeled

Steps

1. Put the chicken, carrot, celery, bay leaf and 1 teaspoon of salt in a large pan and pour over the stock.
2. Bring it to a bare simmer and poach the chicken gently for 20 minutes, until it is just cooked through.
3. Lift the chicken out onto a board and leave it until it is cool enough to handle.
4. Strain the poaching liquid into a jug and keep it, discarding the vegetables.
5. Pull the chicken off the bone and shred it along the grain into finger-thick strands, then set it aside.
6. Put the potatoes in a pan of salted cold water and bring them to the boil.
7. Simmer the potatoes for about 20 minutes, until tender, then drain them and peel them while warm.
8. Lower the eggs into a small pan of boiling water and cook them for 9 minutes.
9. Drain the eggs, cool them under cold running water, then peel and quarter them.
10. Toast the walnuts in a dry frying pan over medium heat for 4 minutes, shaking often, until they smell nutty.
11. Tip the toasted walnuts into a blender with the soaked bread and its milk, and blend to a smooth cream.
12. Heat the vegetable oil in a wide heavy pan over medium heat.
13. Fry the chopped onion with a good pinch of salt for 10 minutes, stirring, until it is completely soft and sweet with no colour.
14. Stir in the garlic, aji amarillo paste, turmeric and cumin and cook for 4 minutes, until the oil turns deep orange and the rawness has gone.
15. Pour in 400ml of the reserved poaching liquid and bring it to a simmer.
16. Whisk in the bread and walnut cream a ladleful at a time so it never goes lumpy.
17. Simmer for 8 minutes, stirring often with a wooden spoon, until the sauce thickly coats the back of it.
18. Stir in the remaining evaporated milk and the parmesan and let it melt in.
19. Fold the shredded chicken through and warm it for 3 minutes.
20. Taste and season with salt and pepper, loosening with more stock if the sauce has gone stiff.
21. Slice the peeled potatoes into thick rounds and lay them across warm plates.
22. Spoon the aji de gallina over the potatoes.
23. Finish each plate with quartered egg and black olives, and serve with white rice.