Recipe: Chicken Sancocho

August 19, 2019

Chicken Sancocho Recipe

It serves: 6 persons

Photo courtesy of Que Rica Vida

Ingredients

3 medium potatoes , cleaned and diced
2 medium carrots , peeled and cut into ¼-inch rounds
1 medium lilac taro , peeled and diced
2 celery , clean and thinly sliced
1 small onion , diced
1 small bell pepper , diced
2 corn on the cob , peeled
3 green plantains, peeled into 1-inch pieces
1 cassava , peeled and cut into squares
2 tomatoes , peeled and cut into small dice
2 tablespoons of Sofrito ( pepper , chopped sweet pepper without seed, onion , coriander , oregano and garlic )
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 whole chicken , broken into pieces
2 bay leaves
2 bunches of cilantro , chopped (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste
Water
Avocado slices to garnish at the end

Procedure

In the largest pot you have, prepare the sofrito. Add the olive oil, onion, bell pepper, seedless chili pepper, and celery. Allow celery, onion, and bell peppers to soften. Add the tomatoes and allow the juices to blend. Season with a little salt and pepper.
Add the root vegetables – potatoes, carrots, cassava, and malanga. Mix the ingredients well with those already in the pot. Add the water until it covers 1 inch above the contents of the pot. Add the bay leaf, the chopped cilantro leaves, and a little salt and pepper. Check that the water is well seasoned. Add the chicken and cover. Bring to a boil and cook over medium heat for about 30-40 minutes.
Stir the pot occasionally and move the entire sancocho around, in order to prevent the bottom from sticking. When you reach 20 minutes, add the ears of corn. Cover again and boil for another 10 – 20 minutes. Check by poking a fork into the root vegetables and checking that they are soft.
Turn off the stove and let the sancocho finish cooking with the residual heat from the burner. Let rest and mix for about 20 minutes. The soup will keep warm for about 1 hour.
When you're ready to eat, garnish on top with avocado slices…and if you like, drizzle with lemon juice.