Shared by Vivian Wecselman-Fishman
Shared by Vivian Wecselman-Fishman
Ají de Gallina (Peruvian Chicken Curry)
Yield: 4 servingsTime: 1 H 30 min
Ají de Gallina (Peruvian Chicken Curry)
Yield: 4 servingsTime: 1 H 30 minFamily Journey
Bucharest, RomaniaTel AvivLima, Peru
MontrealScarsdale, NY
The creamy sauce in this Peruvian classic ají de gallina has roots in Arab cooking that came with Spanish colonizers when they conquered the Inca Empire in the 16th century. In South America, cooks added aji amarillo, a local chile, to it, giving it its signature yellow hue and heat.
When Vivian Wecselman-Fishman was growing up in Lima in the 1970s, the dish was served in her home for Shabbat along with white rice to soak up the sauce. The foods her mother made on Shabbat and holidays might have hailed from Romania or Peru. She made mamaliga, a cornmeal porridge, and Romanian eggplant dip often, but also Peruvian dishes like this one, pastel de choclo, a corn and beef casserole, and tacu-tacu (lima bean patties). If Vivian’s cousin, who she called tia Sarida (using the Spanish word for aunt), was hosting, Ashkenazi recipes were likely on the table — sometimes with Peruvian touches like cilantro in matzo ball soup and cumin in a Shabbat chicken. The melange of flavors and recipes is fitting for the family’s history.
They are a part of a centuries-old Jewish community in Peru that started with the Spanish conquest of the region in the 16th century and grew significantly in the 19th century with the arrival of German and Russian Jews.
Read more about Vivian's family in “Shabbat Dinner by Way of Romania and Peru.”
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts, skinless and boneless
- 2 ½ teaspoons salt, separated
- ⅛ teaspoon pepper
- 2 white potatoes
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 medium red onion, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 tablespoon ají amarillo
- 6 saltine crackers
- 8 whole pecans
- ½ cup coconut milk
- 2 eggs
- 8 pitted black olives
- Parsley for garnishing
Preparation
Step 1
In a large pot, cover the chicken breasts with 5 cups of water, 1 teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Bring the water up to a boil and then immediately lower the heat to a simmer. Cover and cook for 10 minutes. Once the chicken breasts are cooked through, set them aside to cool. Shred the cooled chicken and set it aside. Strain the broth and set aside.
Step 2
Prepare the potatoes: Place the potatoes in a medium pot and cover water. Add ½ teaspoon salt and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for about 15 minutes or until fork tender. Remove the potatoes from the pot and set aside to cool. Once cooled, slice them into 3/4 inch thick coins.
Step 3
Prepare the eggs: Place the eggs in a small pot and cover them with 1 inch of water. Bring to a boil and then cook for 10-12 minutes depending on how soft you want the yolks. Immediately place them into an ice bath and set aside to cool. Once cooled, peel and quarter the eggs.
Step 4
Make the curry sauce: In a skillet, heat the vegetable oil over a medium flame. Place the onion and garlic into the skillet and saute until the onion has softened, about 5 minutes. Season with 1 teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon pepper, the turmeric and aji amarillo. Stir for a few minutes then set aside to cool for at least 10 minutes. Transfer the cooled onion mixture into a food processor with the crackers, pecans, and two cups of chicken broth. Blend until the mixture is smooth and thick.
Step 5
Assemble the curry: Return the curry sauce to the large skillet and add the shredded chicken and coconut milk. Simmer until the flavors meld and curry thickens. If the sauce becomes too thick, add more chicken broth until it is to your liking.
Step 6
Serve the chicken curry over white rice. Accompany with the boiled potatoes, pitted olives, and egg. Garnish with parsley.
