Prep Time::40 mins
Cook Time::25 mins
Additional Time:: 1 hr
Total Time:: 2 hrs 5 mins
Servings::4
Ingredients
For the Chicken Salad:
1 large cooked chicken breast, diced or shredded
¼ cup green peas
¼ cup diced cooked carrot
1 teaspoon minced shallot
2 tablespoons finely chopped roasted red peppers
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon lime juice
¼ cup mayonnaise, or as needed
For Potato Mixture:
1 ¼ pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and quartered
2 tablespoons aji amarillo chili paste, or to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 lime, juiced, or more to taste
cayenne pepper to taste
salt to taste
1 avocado, quartered and sliced
For the Sauce:
⅓ cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon sour cream (Optional)
1 small clove garlic, crushed
2 teaspoons aji amarillo chili paste, or to taste
1 teaspoon water as needed
Directions
Combine chicken, green peas, carrot, shallot, roasted red peppers, cilantro, and lime juice in a bowl. Season with salt and cayenne. Add mayonnaise and mix until combined. Cover chicken salad with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use.
Place potatoes into a pot and cover with salted water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until very tender but not falling apart, about 20 minutes. Drain well and transfer potatoes to a mixing bowl. Mash until smooth.
Add ají amarillo, olive oil, and lime juice to the potatoes. Season with cayenne and salt. Mash together with a potato masher. Switch to a spatula and mix until completely smooth.
Line four 6-ounce ramekins with plastic wrap. Scoop mashed potatoes evenly into ramekins; press and smooth out the tops. Cover each with a layer of avocado slices. Fill each ramekin to the top with chicken salad, pressing it down and pulling up the plastic wrap to eliminate any air pockets. Cover with a final layer of mashed potatoes, going up to 1/2 inch or more over the rim.
Seal top with a new layer of plastic wrap and fold the sides over to seal. Refrigerate salads until completely chilled, at least 1 hour.
Mix mayonnaise, sour cream, garlic, and ají amarillo together for the sauce, adding a splash of water to adjust the thickness.
Remove the top layer of plastic wrap from each salad. Invert each ramekin onto a serving plate; remove ramekins, then plastic wrap. Spoon some sauce around each salad.
Chef John Chef’s Note
If you can't find ají amarillo, you can make a paste from some fire-roasted and peeled orange or red bell peppers, with red Fresno chilies for some heat. While this does get you close, you should definitely try to find a jar of the real stuff, since it does have such a unique flavor.