Sánguche de Pollo con Ají Amarillo
(sahn-goo-cheh deh poh-yo kohn ah-hee ah-mah-ree-yo)
El Lonche (The Evening Bridge)
If you search for a Peruvian chicken sandwich online, you'll find a restaurant-style fantasy of grilled meat and green sauce. That's not what you eat at home. Between five and seven in the evening, when the day is winding down and families gather for El Lonche, the real deal is a fiercely savory, shredded chicken salad bound by the fruity, golden heat of ají amarillo. It’s practical, it uses yesterday's rotisserie chicken or a quick-poached breast, and it hits you with an immediate, uncomplicated nostalgia that tastes exactly like a Lima kitchen on a Tuesday night.
Ingredients
- boneless skinless chicken breasts1 lb
- celery stalk1 med
- yellow onion1/4 med
- kosher salt1 tsp
- mayonnaise3/4 cup
- ají amarillo paste3 tbsp
- yellow mustard1 tsp
- lime1/2 med
- kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepperto taste
- celery stalks2 med
- soft-crust Kaiser rolls or ciabatta4 large
- crisp lettuce leaves4 large
- tomato1 med
- shoestring potato sticks1 cup
Method
- 01
Poach the chicken breasts with the halved celery stalk, onion, and salt in gently simmering water for twenty to twenty-five minutes.
Place them in a medium pot, cover with about an inch of water, and bring to a simmer.
- 02
Transfer the cooked chicken to a mixing bowl, but do not discard the cooking liquid.
Save about half a cup of the hot poaching broth; this is the secret to a perfectly moist filling without dumping in jars of extra mayonnaise.
- 03
Use an electric hand mixer on low speed directly in the bowl to shred the hot chicken breasts in seconds.
This is a brilliant, zero-fuss grandmother's trick that yields perfectly even, fine strands without the tedium of using two forks. Let the meat cool to room temperature.
- 04
Whisk the mayonnaise, ají amarillo paste, mustard, and lime juice together until smooth and deeply golden.
Taste and adjust with salt and pepper; it should be savory, tangy, and carry a gentle, warming heat. Do not substitute fresh jalapeños for the ají amarillo paste—the fruity, unmistakable Peruvian flavor is irreplaceable.
- 05
Fold the diced celery and the ají mayonnaise into the cooled chicken until thoroughly coated.
If the mixture looks stiff, splash in the reserved hot chicken broth one tablespoon at a time until the salad is incredibly juicy and loose.
- 06
Layer the bottom of each toasted roll with lettuce and tomato, pile on the chicken salad, and top heavily with shoestring potatoes before closing.
Add the potatoes at the absolute last second so they maintain their essential crunch. Serve immediately alongside a hot cup of tea or coffee.
Notes
The rotisserie shortcut is a perfectly acceptable and deeply authentic weeknight alternative.
If you don't have time to poach raw meat, substitute three to four cups of shredded leftover supermarket rotisserie chicken and use a splash of low-sodium chicken stock in place of the poaching broth to hydrate the salad.
From Cook Peruvian in America.