Ají de Gallina

Put Chicken in a deep pot with Red onions, Carrots, Celery, Bay leaves and Chicken stock. Pour in enough cold water to cover, bring to a bare simmer, and poach gently until the juices run clear, about 35 min.

⚠ Tip: Never boil hard or the chicken turns stringy — it should barely tremble.

Lift the chicken out and let it cool until you can handle it, then shred it off the bone. Strain the broth and keep it — that is the body of the sauce.

Tear White bread into a bowl, pour over Evaporated milk, and let it soak until the bread collapses, about 5 min.

Blitz the soaked bread and Walnuts to a smooth, spoonable paste, adding a little milk if needed.

Boil Waxy potatoes in salted water until a knife slides in cleanly, about 20 min. In the last stretch, hard-boil Eggs. Drain both.

Heat 3 tbsp Vegetable oil in a wide pan over medium heat and cook a finely chopped half of the Red onions with the Garlic until soft and sweet, about 5 min. Stir in Aji amarillo paste and fry until the paste darkens and smells nutty, about 5 min.

⚠ Tip: Cooking the ají paste in oil is what makes it taste of chilli instead of raw heat — do not skip it.

Pull the pan off the heat and stir in bread and walnut paste until it disappears into the sauce. Return to a low heat, pour in 400 ml of the reserved Chicken stock, and simmer until it thickens enough to coat a spoon, about 10 min. Season with Salt, Ground black pepper, Ground cumin and Dried oregano.

⚠ Tip: Add stock a ladle at a time — you want a pourable stew, not a soup.

Fold the shredded chicken into the sauce and simmer gently until it is hot through and has drunk some of the sauce, about 5 min. Stir in Parmesan and taste for salt.

Spoon over Jasmine rice with the boiled Waxy potatoes alongside. Top with the halved Eggs, Black olives and a scatter of Flat-leaf parsley. Eat at once.