Sánguche de Pollo con Ají Amarillo
Sánguche de Pollo con Ají Amarillo·(sahn-goo-cheh deh poh-yo kohn ah-hee ah-mah-ree-yo)
El Lonche (The Evening Bridge)
Five-thirty in the afternoon, whistling kettles sound, bakeries sell out of bread, and a supermarket rotisserie bird is pulled apart by hand for El Lonche. Forget the Americanized grilled chicken cutlet drowning in green sauce. As the blender whirs, the meat becomes an intensely savory, tangy shredded chicken salad bound by the fruity heat of jarred ají amarillo paste. Stuffed into a crusty French roll with celery and shoestring potatoes, it is the pragmatic taste of a Lima kitchen on a Tuesday night. Toast the bread, pile the chicken high, and eat it standing up.
Before you start
De-string the celery before dicing.
Run a standard vegetable peeler down the curved back of the stalks to remove the tough, stringy exterior; it makes a massive difference in the final texture of the salad.
Ingredients
- boneless skinless chicken breasts1 lb
- celery1 med
- yellow onion1/4 med
- kosher salt1 tsp
- mayonnaise3/4 cup
- ají amarillo paste3 tbsp
- yellow mustard1 tsp
- lime juice1 tbsp
- celery2 med
- crusty airy rolls4 med
- crisp lettuce leaves4 med
- tomato1 med
- shoestring potato sticks1 cup
Method
- 01
Poach the chicken with aromatics.
Place the chicken breasts, halved celery stalk, onion, and salt in a pot, cover with an inch of water, and simmer over low heat for 20 to 25 minutes until fully cooked through.
- 02
Reserve the cooking liquid.
Transfer the chicken to a large bowl, but save about half a cup of the hot poaching broth—this is the grandmotherly secret to a truly juicy sandwich filling.
- 03
Shred the chicken using an electric hand mixer.
While the chicken is still hot, plunge a hand mixer directly into the bowl on low speed to perfectly shred the meat into fine strands in a matter of seconds, then let it cool.
- 04
Whisk together the ají amarillo mayonnaise.
Combine the mayonnaise, ají amarillo paste, mustard, and lime juice in a small bowl, seasoning with salt and pepper until it carries a gentle, warming heat.
- 05
Combine and hydrate the chicken salad.
Fold the diced celery and spiced mayonnaise into the cooled chicken, adding the reserved broth a tablespoon at a time until the mixture is incredibly moist without being greasy.
- 06
Assemble the sandwiches and serve immediately.
Layer lettuce, tomato, and a generous scoop of the chicken mixture onto the toasted rolls, finishing with a heavy handful of shoestring potatoes right before closing for maximum crunch.
Notes
Embrace the rotisserie shortcut.
To skip poaching entirely on a busy weeknight, shred three cups of leftover supermarket rotisserie chicken and use a splash of store-bought low-sodium chicken stock to hydrate the mixture.
Use the right bread.
The Peruvian pan francés is light and crackly. Avoid dense brioche or sweet burger buns; seek out soft-crust Kaiser rolls, Portuguese water rolls, or a very airy ciabatta.
From Cook Peruvian in America.