Palta Rellena con Pollo
Palta Rellena con Pollo·(pahl-tah reh-yeh-nah kohn poy-yo)
Para Picar y Empezar (The Front Porch Snacks & Starters)
Ask any first-generation Peruvian kid what dish pulls them right back to their mother's kitchen on a warm spring afternoon, and they'll point to Palta Rellena. It looks deceptively simple—a chicken salad stuffed into a ripe avocado—but the soul of the dish lies in the grandmother's technique. True Peruvian matriarchs never settle for plain leftover chicken; they simmer fresh breast with aromatics to build a rich, golden broth that gets cleverly repurposed to cook the vegetables. It’s a masterclass in turning everyday supermarket staples into something profoundly nostalgic and deeply flavorful on a regular Tuesday night.
Before you start
Take the time to execute a proper brunoise.
The potatoes and carrots must be diced into small, uniform cubes roughly the size of the peas so the filling mixes seamlessly and stays cohesive when stuffed inside the avocado.
Ingredients
- boneless skinless chicken breast3/4 lb
- celery stalk1 med
- yellow onion1/2 med
- carrot1 med
- garlic2 large cloves
- kosher salt1 tsp
- Yukon Gold potato1 med
- carrot1 large
- frozen green peas1/2 cup
- frozen Peruvian choclo or sweet corn1/2 cup
- mayonnaise1/3 cup
- limes2 med
- Hass avocados2 large
- fresh cilantro1/4 cup
- Bibb lettuce leaves4 large
- hard-boiled egg1 med
Method
- 01
Build the flavor base by gently poaching the chicken in aromatics.
Combine the chicken, celery, onion, the roughly chopped medium carrot, garlic, and salt in a saucepan with cold water to cover, simmering gently over low heat for 25 minutes until cooked through.
- 02
Shred the cooked chicken into fine strings by hand.
Remove the chicken to a cutting board to cool, discard the mushy aromatics, and strain the golden broth back into the pot. Use two forks to pull the meat into fine, textured strings that will properly catch and hold the mayonnaise.
- 03
Cook the diced vegetables directly in the reserved chicken broth.
Return the strained broth to a boil and cook the diced potato and large carrot for 8 to 10 minutes. Toss in the peas and corn for the final two minutes, then drain the vegetables thoroughly and let them cool completely.
- 04
Fold the ingredients together into a cohesive salpicón.
In a large bowl, gently mix the shredded chicken, cooled vegetables, mayonnaise, half the lime juice, and cilantro, seasoning generously with salt and pepper to taste.
- 05
Prepare the avocados using the leveling cut.
Shave a paper-thin slice off the rounded bottoms of the avocado halves so they sit perfectly flat on a plate, then immediately rub the exposed flesh with the remaining lime juice, salt, and pepper to prevent browning.
- 06
Stuff the avocados and serve immediately.
Nestle each avocado half onto a crisp lettuce leaf, mound the chicken salad generously into the center cavities, and garnish with a slice of hard-boiled egg.
Notes
Awaken the choclo.
If you managed to score authentic frozen Peruvian choclo, give it the traditional matriarch's treatment. Boil it separately in a small pot with a half teaspoon of sugar and a pinch of anise seeds to bring out its sweet, floral Andean flavor before mixing it into the salad.
From Cook Peruvian in America.