My first taste of Ají de Gallina was love at first bite. A beautiful, creamy golden-yellow sauce enrobed tender shredded chicken, all atop a bed of fluffy white rice. I was hooked, and knew I had to recreate this dish at home. If you have chicken breasts and are trying to figure out what to do with them, this is a great way to use them up! Read on for a delicious recipe and wine pairing with Aji de Gallina.
What is Ají de Gallina?
Ají de Gallina is a traditional Peruvian dish that gets its golden yellow hue from the ají pepper. It is a fusion of flavors from across cultures, reflective of both the Spanish influence in Peru’s past, as well as its own native ingredients. The dish is thought to be a Peruvian take on Menjar Blanco, a sweet Spanish chicken stew. Over time, the dish took on a local flair, with the addition of ají peppers and a savory flavor.
The rich, creamy, and faintly toasty flavor of Ají de Gallina comes from pureéd bread, walnuts, and evaporated milk. The addition of parmesan adds a lightly savory twist. It is traditionally served over a bed of rice, with slices of potatoes and hard boiled eggs.
Wine Pairing with Ají de Gallina
Pick a lightly-oaked Sonoma Coast or Santa Barbara Chardonnay to go with your Ají de Gallina. Chardonnay’s rounded texture and flavors of lemon curd, brioche, and hazelnut perfectly match the sauce’s ingredients. Sonoma Coast and Santa Barbara are cool regions close to the Pacific Ocean. These areas yield Chardonnay with bright, food-friendly acidity and a balanced profile that is not overly ripe or buttery. The Chardonnay has enough fruit to match spicy peppers, along with ample acidity that cleanses the palate after creamy sauces.
If you can’t find these wines, one alternative is a Chardonnay from Meursault or St. Veran. Meursault wines are prized for their balanced profiles that are both rich and mineral-driven, along with fragrant aromatics of citrus, blossoms, and toasted nuts. St. Veran is in the southernmost region of Burgundy, where the climate is slightly warmer. Wines from St. Veran typically have a fuller-bodied, nutty, and honeyed nature that would be perfect with the toasty, nutty flavors of Ají de Gallina.
Can I make Ají de Gallina mild?
The ají pepper is very spicy, with a scoville rating of 30,000-50,000 (for reference, that’s at least 4-5x spicier than the spiciest jalapeños). While you can’t make it fully mild, you can make Ají de Gallina slightly less spicy by blanching the peppers for a few minutes in boiling water.
Where can I buy ají pepper?
Ají pepper may be available at your local Mexican or international grocery store. Not all stores carry the fresh pepper, but many will have jarred ají pepper paste. If you can’t find it in stores, you can easily buy ají pepper paste on Amazon. Top brands include Inca’s Food and Goya. Note that all the pre-made pastes are spicy.
I do not recommend substituting yellow bell pepper. It is mild, its color and flavor is much lighter, and you will miss the rich golden color of this dish.
Ají de Gallina Recipe and Wine Pairing
Ingredients
- 1.5 pounds chicken breast
- 1 red onion
- ½ cup ají pepper paste OR 3-4 ají peppers, sliced
- 4 slices white bread
- 1 cup evaporated milk
- 3 tablespoons parmesan cheese, grated
- 3 tablespoons walnut, crushed
- 4 potatoes (Yukon gold is my favorite)
- ¼ cup sliced olives
- Cooked white rice, for serving
Instructions
- Poach the chicken breasts in water at a low boil until just cooked, approximately 20 minutes. Remove from heat and reserve 2 cups of the chicken broth.
- In a bowl, soak the bread in the milk.
- Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Sauteé the onions with the ají pepper paste until the onions are softened. Set aside to cool.
- While the onion mix is cooling, shred the chicken.
- Pulse the onion mix, soaked bread, cheese, and walnuts on high speed until very evenly blended.
- Return mixture to the pan, along with the shredded chicken. Let everything simmer together for 5-10 minutes. You can thin out the mixture with chicken broth if it is too thick.
- Remove from heat and serve over rice alongside a few slices of potatoes. Garnish with the olives and sliced boiled egg.
- Pair with a lightly oaked Chardonnay, and enjoy!
Check out our other wine pairings with chicken dishes:
