Creamy Ají Chicken with Potatoes

Name: Creamy Ají Chicken with Potatoes
Total time: 65 min
Yield: 2 servings
Ingredients: 350 g Boneless, skinless chicken breasts; 400 g Potatoes; 100 g Onion; 2 cloves Garlic; 1 tbsp Ají amarillo paste; 30 g Sandwich bread; 150 ml Whole milk; 25 g Walnuts; 400 ml Low-sodium chicken stock; 1 tbsp Neutral cooking oil; 1000 ml Water; 5 g Parsley; 0.25 tsp Salt

Shredded chicken in a smooth yellow-chili, milk and walnut sauce is spooned over tender potato slices.

65 minutes · Easy · 2 servings

Original house recipe · Not yet kitchen-tested

Ingredients

Boneless, skinless chicken breasts350 g
Potatoes400 g
Onion100 g
Garlic2 cloves
Ají amarillo paste1 tbsp
Sandwich bread30 g
Whole milk150 ml
Walnuts25 g
Low-sodium chicken stock400 ml
Neutral cooking oil1 tbsp
Water1000 ml
Parsley5 g
Salt0.25 tsp

Quantities describe recipe usage, not package sizes.

Allergen notes

Milk, wheat and walnuts. Check bread, stock and chili paste labels for other allergens.

Method

Poach the chicken safely

Use two small breasts, about 175 g each; halve thicker breasts horizontally if needed so no piece is more than 3 cm thick. Put the stock in a small lidded saucepan and bring to a simmer. Add the chicken without rinsing it. Cover and simmer gently for 14–18 minutes, turning halfway, until each piece reaches 74°C (165°F). Transfer to a clean plate and reserve the cooking liquid.

Cook the potatoes alongside

While the chicken poaches, scrub the potatoes and cut any large ones into roughly 4 cm chunks. Put them in a saucepan with the measured 1 litre water, using a pan that keeps them covered. Bring to a boil and simmer for 20–25 minutes, until easily pierced. Drain, cool just enough to handle, peel if desired and cut into thick slices. Keep warm.

Blend the sauce mixture

Tear the bread into pieces and soak in the milk for 5 minutes. Peel and finely chop the onion and garlic. Blend the soaked bread, milk and walnuts with 150 ml of the reserved chicken cooking liquid until smooth. Use a vented blender suitable for warm liquids, not a sealed personal blender.

Cook the yellow sauce

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Soften the onion for 7–8 minutes. Add garlic and ají amarillo and stir for 1 minute. Pour in the blended mixture, add the salt and simmer gently for 7–10 minutes, stirring and scraping the base. If it becomes too thick, add up to another 50 ml of the reserved cooking liquid.

Shred and finish

Shred the cooked chicken with two forks and stir into the sauce. Heat gently for 3–4 minutes until piping hot throughout. Wash and finely chop the parsley. Divide the warm potatoes between two plates, spoon over the creamy chicken and finish with parsley. Cool and refrigerate any unused cooking liquid promptly for another use, or discard.

The walnuts are blended into the sauce, not an optional garnish. Plain milk and bread provide the body; this house version has no cheese, boiled egg or olive topping.

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