Ingredients

• 800 g chicken breast
• 200 g walnuts
• 2 slice white bread
• 3 clove garlic
• 1 piece onion
• 2 piece bay leaves
• 5 piece black peppercorns
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp paprika
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 50 g walnuts for garnish

Instructions

1. Poach the chicken

   Place chicken breast in a large pot with quartered onion, bay leaves, peppercorns, and 1 tsp salt. Cover with cold water by 2 inches. Bring to a gentle boil over medium heat for 5 minutes, then reduce to low heat and simmer for 25-30 minutes until chicken is fully cooked and tender when pierced with a fork. Do not boil vigorously as this will make the chicken tough.

2. Prepare walnut mixture

   Remove crusts from bread slices and tear into small pieces. Soak in 1 cup of warm chicken broth for 5 minutes until completely softened. In a food processor, pulse walnuts and peeled garlic cloves for 30-45 seconds until finely ground but not paste-like. Do not over-process or the walnuts will become oily.

3. Make walnut sauce

   Add the soaked bread and 2-3 tbsp of chicken broth to the walnut mixture. Process on high speed for 2-3 minutes until you have a smooth, creamy paste. The consistency should be like thick cream - add more broth if needed. Season with 1/2 tsp salt and mix well. Do not make it too thin as it will not coat the chicken properly.

4. Shred the chicken

   Remove chicken from broth and let cool for 10 minutes until easy to handle. Reserve the broth for later use. Using your hands or two forks, shred the chicken into bite-sized strips along the grain. The pieces should be uniform and not too small. Do not use a knife as hand-shredded chicken has better texture.

5. Combine and chill

   Gently fold the shredded chicken into the walnut sauce using a large spoon, ensuring all pieces are well coated. The mixture should be creamy but not wet. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight to allow flavors to meld. Do not serve immediately as the dish needs time to develop its full flavor.

6. Prepare paprika oil garnish

   Heat olive oil in a small pan over low heat for 1-2 minutes. Add paprika and stir constantly for 30 seconds until fragrant and the oil turns red. Remove from heat immediately and let cool completely. The oil should be deep red but not burnt. Do not overheat or the paprika will become bitter.

7. Serve and garnish

   Transfer the chilled chicken to a serving platter and smooth the surface with a spoon. Drizzle the paprika oil over the top and sprinkle with roughly chopped walnuts for garnish. Let stand at room temperature for 15-20 minutes before serving to take the chill off. Do not serve ice-cold as this mutes the flavors.

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