WINE & FOOD AFFAIR RECIPES

Main Dish

Aji de Gallina (Chicken in Spicy Cream Sauce)

Soda Rock Winery

8015 Highway 128
Healdsburg, CA 95448
sodarockwinery.com

Recommended by our French-Peruvian Winemaker Antoine Favero, this classic dish of slow-cooked chicken in a mildly spiced cream sauce was a standout on a trip to Peru that Tasting Room Manager Victoria Wilson took with her mother, Diane. The aji chile is perfectly balanced by the nutty richness of the sauce, which pairs seamlessly with the citrus notes in the Soda Rock 2012 Chardonnay.

Ingredients:
  • 3 bone-in, skinless chicken breasts
  • 1 onion, coarsely chopped, plus 2 onions, diced
  • 2 carrots, chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves (2 whole, 2 minced)
  • 8 cups water
  • 1 1/2 cans evaporated milk
  • 4 to 5 cups dried bread crumbs
  • Parmesan cheese
  • 1/2 cup toasted walnuts
  • Vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 tablespoon aji amarillo paste
  • Steamed white or brown rice for serving
  • Boiled potatoes, peeled and sliced, for serving
  • Hard-cooked eggs, peeled and sliced, for serving
  • Kalamata olives, pitted and chopped, for serving
  • 2 teaspoons salt

Directions:

In a large saucepan, combine the chicken breasts, coarsely chopped onion, carrots and whole garlic cloves. Add the water and slowly bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Skim off the foam that forms on the top, then cover, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the chicken is tender, about 30 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate and let cool. Strain the chicken stock, discarding the vegetables.

In a blender, combine the evaporated milk and 1/2 cup of the stock. Add the bread cubes and puree until smooth. Add the cheese and walnuts and puree until smooth. Set aside. 

Shred the chicken and discard the bones. Set the meat aside.

In a large saucepan over medium heat, warm the vegetable oil. Stir in the minced garlic, diced onions and cumin and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chicken and aji amarillo paste and cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through. Pour in the bread puree and cook, stirring frequently, until hot. Simmer for 5 minutes more, adding more stock if needed to keep the mixture from getting too thick.

Serve the chicken and sauce over rice with boiled potatoes, and garnish with hard-cooked egg slices and Kalamata olives.