Friday, August 5, 2016

Aji de Gallina


I got back from a quick trip to Vietnam earlier this week.  I am still adjusting to the time change.  Last night I fell asleep before ten.  I work up this morning at 2 am and had to wait awhile before falling  back to sleep.


I believe that I caught a bit of a sore throat during my flight back.  My throat and chest have been a bit scratchy since my return.  It is always a little hard to transition back into work and life after a trip. Anticipating the Olympics has helped the transition by giving me something to look forward too.

I've always enjoyed watching the Olympics.  It is the only time I'm exposed to many sports.  As a student, I would spend hours watching the Olympics.  My days are more occupied now with work and other commitments, but I hope I still get to view many event.


This is a Peruvian restaurant.  I have eaten it in Peruvian restaurants and have always enjoyed it.  The sauce is always so creamy.  This recipe is as good as what I have eaten in restaurants.  



I found the recipe on allrecipes.com.  I used a fresh Jalapeño pepper instead of aji amarillo chili paste.  My grocery store did not have ahi amarillo chili paste.  It gave the dish a bit of heat, but I like spicy foods.  I also increased the amount of walnuts.


The ingredients are 2 pounds skinless chicken breast, 1 onion, 2 carrots, 2 cloves garlic, 2 quarts water, 1 loaf white bread with the crusts removed, 12 fluid ounces evaporated milk, 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, 1/2 cup walnut pieces, 1 teaspoon vegetable oil, 2 minced garlic cloves, 1 onion, 1 Jalapeño pepper, 2 teaspoons turmeric, 4 hard-cooked eggs, and 1/4 cup kalamata olives.


I started my poaching the chicken.  I coarsely chopped one of the onions and added it to a big pot.


I added the chopped carrots and two garlic cloves to the pot.



I added the chicken and water to the pot.  I simmered the chicken for 30 minutes.


I removed the chicken from the pot and let it cool.  I also strained the broth.


I added the crustless, white bread into a blender.  I added the evaporated milk and a half a cup of the chicken broth reserved from poaching the chicken.  I blended these ingredients together.




I added walnuts, a Jalapeño, and Parmesan cheese to the blender.  I pureed this until it was smooth.



I added vegetable oil and a finely chopped onion into a pan.  I added two cloves of minced garlic.  I sautéed the onion and garlic over medium-high heat for about five minutes.  The onions became soft.


I shredded the chicken and and added it to the pan.  I added the pureed sauce.  I simmered the chicken until all the ingredients were hot.


I added the ground turmeric and simmered the chicken mixture for another five minutes.  I ended up adding more chicken stock to loosen the sauce.


I served this over rice.  I garnished each dish with a few olives and some egg slices.


The sauce was very creamy, luscious, and smooth.  It was thick and flavorful.  


The dish had a nutty flavor and a bit of heat.


 The chicken was tender, succulent, and moist.


The garnishes paired well with the chicken mixture.  The olives were strong and pungent.


It was a comforting and enjoyable dish.  This was one of the most tasteful and mouthwatering dishes I have posted for a while.  I really enjoyed it.

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