Special Ají de Gallina (Chicken)

A rich and creamy Peruvian chicken stew made with three layered sofritos, ají amarillo, mirasol, bread, evaporated milk, and parmesan. Served with native potatoes, white rice, boiled eggs, olives, and a crispy cheese cracker.

40m Prep

60m Cook

1h 40m Total

2 Servings

chicken aji-de-gallina creamy stew streetfood negocios comfort-food family special three-sofrito native-potatoes standardized

Ingredients

acompañamiento

500 g rice (indic / long-grain) (cooked with garlic, olive oil, 2 tsp salt)
native / sandy potatoes (papas nativas) (boiled from boiling water, removed from water immediately when cooked)
2 eggs (hard-boiled from boiling water, 10-12 minutes, at room temperature)

base

50 g bread (crusty white) (crumbled, soaked in broth)
evaporated milk (added at end of cooking)

caldo corto

2 bay leaves (for short broth)
30 g celery (for short broth)
30 g carrot (for broth) (for short broth)

especias

white pepper (freshly ground)
ground cumin (freshly ground)

garnish

pecans (roughly chopped, for garnish) opcional
15 g parmesan cheese (for cheese cracker) (fried in a tiny bit of oil until crispy cracker forms) opcional
olives (black) (for garnish)

liquidos

350 g chicken broth (short broth) (made with bay leaf, celery, onion, garlic, carrot from poaching the chicken)

primer sofrito

90 ml vegetable oil (for first sofrito) (6 large tablespoons)
150 g white onion (first sofrito) (finely chopped)
5 g garlic (first sofrito) (finely chopped)
5 g salt (first sofrito) (1 tsp)

proteina

300 g chicken breast (brined at 10% salinity for up to 1.5 hours, then poached in short broth)

segundo sofrito

150 g yellow chili paste (ají amarillo)
20 g mirasol chili paste (dried ají amarillo)
5 g ají panca paste

Steps

1

Prepare the rice: heat olive oil in a pot, add finely chopped garlic (1 tsp), let it lightly brown, then add 500g of long-grain (Indic) rice. Nacrate (toast) lightly, then add 1 liter of water and 2 tsp of salt. Boil on high for 5 minutes, then reduce to minimum and cook for 15 more minutes, stirring every 5 minutes.

Consejo: Use Indic or long-grain rice with low starch for the side dish so it stays separate and fluffy.

~20 min
2

Hard-boil the eggs (2) starting from boiling water. Reduce heat and cook for 10-12 minutes. Cool immediately in cold water. Cook native/sandy potatoes in boiling water; remove from water as soon as cooked to prevent them from bursting.

Consejo: Native potatoes must be removed from their cooking water immediately — leaving them in causes them to burst.

~15 min
3

Make a short broth: in a small pot, combine 500ml of cold water, 2 bay leaves, 30g celery, 50g onion (scraps), 2 garlic cloves, 30g carrot, and any chicken bones. Bring to a boil from cold to extract maximum flavor. Add the chicken breast (300g, previously brined at 10% for 1-2 hours). Cook at moderate heat for 15-20 minutes. Remove chicken, shred into large pieces. Reserve 350g of the broth.

Consejo: Brine the chicken at 10% salinity for up to 1.5 hours before cooking to restore moisture and set the exact salt point.

~25 min
4

First sofrito: heat 90ml oil in a wide pan. Add onion (150g, finely chopped) and garlic (5g). Add 1 tsp salt to help caramelize. Cook over very low heat for 20 minutes, pressing occasionally, until completely caramelized and golden.

Consejo: This slow caramelization is critical — rushing it leaves raw onion flavor that will coat the palate unpleasantly when eating.

~20 min
5

Second sofrito: mix together in a bowl the ají amarillo paste (150g), mirasol paste (20g), and ají panca paste (5g). Once the first sofrito is caramelized, add this chili mixture. Sauté well over low heat until the oil separates — watch carefully to prevent burning.

Consejo: The small amount of ají panca (just 5g) gives the dish a subtle counterpoint that makes it stand out from other versions.

~10 min
6

Soak the bread (50g, crumbled) in the reserved chicken broth (350g). Transfer the soaked bread + broth and the second sofrito to a blender. Blend until very smooth.

Consejo: Blending the bread ensures a completely smooth sauce with no lumps — ideal for kids and for restaurant-quality texture.

~5 min
7

Return the blended sauce to the pan over low heat. Add the shredded chicken (300g). Add a pinch of white pepper and cumin. Stir and let the chicken absorb the flavors for 2-3 minutes.

~5 min
8

Add evaporated milk (to taste) near the end of cooking. Give it just one brief boil, then turn off the heat. Add a pinch of parmesan (15g). Stir gently.

Consejo: Milk is added at the very end — only one boil — to preserve its creaminess and prevent the sauce from breaking.

~5 min
9

Make the cheese cracker: in a small pan over minimum heat, add a drop of oil and place 15g parmesan in a thin circle. Let it melt and form a crispy golden cracker. Remove when golden and let it cool.

~5 min
10

Plate: place white rice, add native potato pieces, pour ají de gallina generously over the top. Garnish with hard-boiled egg halves, black olives, pecans (optional), and the crispy parmesan cracker.

~5 min

Nutrition (por porción)

520

Calorías

32g

Proteína

48g

Carbohidratos

22g

Grasa

Fibra

Cultural Context

Ají de gallina is one of Peru's most iconic dishes, with Spanish and French culinary influences blended into a distinctly Peruvian flavor profile. The dish traditionally uses hen (gallina) but is widely made with chicken (pollo). Victor's special version features three distinct sofritos for layered depth, uses native potatoes instead of yellow potatoes, adds a small touch of ají panca for a subtle contrasting note, and finishes with a signature crispy parmesan cracker for garnish.