Ajiaco Cubano Food

AJIACO COLOMBIANO (COLOMBIAN CHICKEN AND POTATO SOUP)

Steps:

• In a large pot, place the chicken, corn, chicken bouillon, cilantro, scallions, garlic, salt and pepper. Add the water and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and cook for about 30 to 35 minutes, until chicken is cooked and tender. Remove the chicken and set aside.
• Continue cooking the corn for about 15 more minutes. Discard green onion and add red potatoes, white potatoes, and the guascas. Cook for 15 more minutes.
• Uncover and add the frozen papa criolla and simmer for 15 minutes, season with salt and pepper.
• Cut the chicken meat into small pieces and return to the pot. Serve the Ajiaco hot with capers and heavy cream on the side.

COLOMBIAN CHICKEN STEW (AJIACO)

Steps:

• Put chicken pieces in a large pot over medium heat with enough water to cover the chicken; bring to a boil and let simmer until the chicken is falling off the bones, about 45 minutes. Remove chicken from pot, reserving the water in the pot. Allow the chicken to cool enough to be able to remove the meat from bones and shred into strands.
• Return the water to medium heat; add the potatoes, onion, salt, pepper, and garlic powder to the water; cook until the potatoes and onion are soft; about 30 minutes. Once the potatoes are tender, use a masher to mash the potatoes into the broth, resulting in a thickened broth. Stir in the shredded chicken and corn; cook until heated through completely. Add the avocado and cilantro just before serving; garnish with sour cream.

AJIACO: CUBAN SOUP MADE WITH BEEF, PORK, AND TROPICAL VEGETABLES

Steps:

• Drain and rinse the tasajo. Place into a large pot, cover with fresh water and cook until almost tender. Add the pork cubes and cook until both meats are completely tender. Drain the meat, reserving 8 cups of the cooking liquid.
• In a tall stockpot, add all the vegetables, except for the pumpkin and the yellow plantain, all the meat stocks, bay leaves and cumin. Cook for approximately 30 minutes and add the pumpkin and yellow plantain. Cook for 15 minutes. Allow it to rest for a few minutes. Add salt and white pepper to taste.

COLOMBIAN AJIACO

Steps:

• In a large pot or Dutch oven, place the water, chicken breast, guascas, garlic, green onions, salt, pepper, and a third of the potatoes. Simmer for 45 minutes.
• Remove the green onions and chicken from the pot. Shred chicken using two forks, set aside. Discard the bone and green onions.
• Add the rest of the potatoes and the corn. Simmer for 20 minutes. Taste for salt, add more if necessary. Add shredded chicken and serve.
• Serve ajiaco with avocado, cilantro, sour cream, capers, and rice on the side.

AJIACO CRIOLLO--CUBAN CREOLE STEW

Steps:

• Make the broth: Cover the tasajo with cold water and soak it for at least 8 hours. (There is no need to refrigerate it.) Change the water and continue soaking for another hour. Drain again and rinse under cold running water. Put the tasajo in a large, heavy pot and add about 6 quarts of water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer, covered for 1 hour. Add the pork, beef brisket, and bay leaf, and let the three meats cook together until tender. Remove the pot from the heat and skim as much fat as possible from the broth. (If you have time, the best way is to refrigerate the broth overnight until the fat solidifies and then remove it.)
• Make the Sofrito: Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat and saute the onions and green pepper until the onions are translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 2 minutes more. Add the pepper, cumin, and tomatoes and cook for another 2 minutes.
• Add the sofrito to the broth and simmer, covered, while you prepare the vegetables.
• Complete the Dish: Peel the malanga, boniato, name, yucca, and calabaza and cube them. Cut the corn and green plaintains into 1 1/2-inch pieces. With a knife, split the skin of each piece of green plantain and open it away from the center as if you were taking off a coat. Sprinkle the plantain pieces with the lime juice. Slit the semi-ripe and ripe plantains lengthwise and slice them crosswise into 1 1/2-inch rounds. Do not remove their skins or they will disintegrate in the stew. Add the green plantains to the simmering stew. After about 15 minutes, add the semiripe plantains. After another 15 minutes, add the ripe plantains and let them simmer for about 10 minutes.
• Serve hot in soup plates or, cocido-style, with the meats, vegetables, and broth in separate dishes. (Each diner removes the skin from the semi-ripe plantains themselves).

AJIACO (COLOMBIAN CHICKEN SOUP)

Steps:

• Put the chicken in a large (at least 8-quart) stockpot and add 8 cups water. Bring to a boil over high heat and then reduce the heat to a vigorous simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes, frequently skimming off the foam that floats to the surface.
• Add all the vegetables, the garlic, the cilantro, and the bouillon cubes to the pot, along with the salt and pepper. Stir a few times to distribute the vegetables and submerge as many of the solids as possible. When the broth returns to a gentle boil, partially cover the pot and simmer, stirring once or twice, for 1-1/2 hours. Taste for salt and add more if needed.
• Using tongs or a slotted spoon, pick out the chicken pieces and put them on a large plate. Stir the soup with a large spoon, breaking up some of the potatoes to thicken the soup slightly. Keep hot if serving soon or let cool and refrigerate.
• When the chicken is cool enough to handle, pull the meat off the bones and shred it by hand. Discard the bones and tendons, and put the shredded chicken in a serving bowl.
• In a food processor, pulse all the aji ingredients until they're finely minced. Transfer to a serving bowl.
• Put the avocados, sour cream or creme fraiche, capers and cilantro leaves in small bowls and set them on the table along with the bowls of shredded chicken and the aji. Reheat the soup if necessay and ladle it into large soup bowls, putting a quater ear of corn in each bowl. Let your guests add the garnishes and the aji as they like.

AJIACO CUBANO

Steps:

• THE DAY BEFORE:.
• Cut the beef jerky in large pieces and soak in water to cover.
• Soak overnight.
• SOUP:.
• Now drain jerky and place in a very large and deep stockpot.
• Add the 5 quarts of water and the cut up hen or chicken.
• Boil for one hour.
• Add the flank steak and pork pieces.
• Add the spare ribs.
• Boil for one more hour.
• Remove fat and froth that will rise to top.
• While meats are cooking, make the "sofrito", peel and cut the "viandas" (vegetables).
• PREPARE SOFRITO:.
• Add all ingredients, except for seasonings, to sauté pan and allow to simmer for 20 minutes.
• Then add seasonings and simmer about 5 minutes longer.
• Discard the bay leaves.
• PREPARE THE VEGETABLES:.
• When meats are tender, add the viandas, except ripe plantains and pumpkin.
• Cook about one hour more.
• Add the sofrito and cook another 20-30 minutes.
• Add the ripe plantains and pumpkin and cook 30 more minutes or until pumpkin and plantains are tender.
• Taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary.
• If broth is too thin, thicken by mashing some of the viandas in a little broth and adding it back to the pot.
• Serve in a large soup tureen and give each guest a large, flat rimmed soup bowl.
• You can place lime slices in little dishes along the table.
• The ajiaco tastes really good with freshly squeezed lime juice, but let each guest decide if they would like to squirt their own.
• This is so versatile, it can be served as a stew with rice and a salad of lettuce, tomatoe and cucumbers, or served with just the broth or served as is; meats and vegetables in a deep soup bowl.
• Buen Provecho!