Colombian Chicken Food

CHICKEN AND RICE (ARROZ CON POLLO)

Steps:

• To make the stock: Place the chicken breast, 5 cups water and the remaining ingredients for the stock in a medium pot. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce the heat to medium low. Cook for 20 to 25 minutes. Turn the heat off and let the chicken rest in the pot for about 15 minutes covered. Let it cool, shred and set aside. Strain stock and measure 2 ½ cups and set aside.
• In a medium pot, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions, green peppers, garlic and red bell pepper. Cook until the onions are translucent, about 4 to 5 minutes.
• Add the rice, tomato paste, chicken bouillon and sazon goya. Stir until the rice is well coated about 3 minutes. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer for about 15 minutes. Add the peas, carrots and green beans and cook for and additional 7 minutes, add the shredded chicken and cilantro, mix well with a fork, cover and cook for 5 minutes more.
• Serve this arroz con pollo with a green salad on the side and Enjoy!

COLOMBIAN CHICKEN STEW: SANCOCHO

Steps:

• In a blender, puree the garlic, carrots, peppers, onion, chile, and 1 cup cilantro.
• In a large pot, combine the puree with the water, bouillon cubes, and cumin, and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 30 minutes.
• Add the chicken and simmer for another 20 minutes.
• Add the yucca and green plantain and simmer for 10 minutes more. Add the potatoes, ripe plantain, and corn and simmer for another 15 minutes.
• In a blender, combine the remaining 1 cup cilantro and a little of the stew broth and puree. Stir the puree into the soup, season with salt and pepper, and serve.

AJIACO (COLOMBIAN CHICKEN, POTATO AND CORN SOUP)

Steps:

• In a 5-quart pot, combine the chicken, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 8 cups water to cover. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and skim any foam or impurities from the top. Add the onion, garlic, bay leaf, cilantro stems and scallion whites. Simmer, partially covered, until the chicken is tender and releases easily when pierced with a knife, 35 to 40 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a bowl to cool, about 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile make the aji sauce: In a food processor, combine the scallion greens, hot sauce, tomatoes, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 cup of the cilantro leaves and pulse to a coarse sauce. Set aside. (Alternatively, the ingredients can be chopped by hand and stirred to combine.)
• Add the potatoes to the soup along with 1 1/4 teaspoons salt. Cover, bring back to a simmer and simmer another 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, remove the chicken meat from the bones and shred with your hands or 2 forks (discard the bones and skin). Set aside.
• Add the corn to the soup and cook until the corn and potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the chicken meat back to the soup and return the soup to a simmer. Add salt if needed.
• Divide the soup among 6 bowls and serve with sliced avocado, sour cream, capers, aji sauce and remaining cilantro leaves.

COLOMBIAN CHICKEN, CORN, AND POTATO STEW

Steps:

• Put chicken in a 6- to 8-quart pot and add water, broth, onion, guascas, and 1 1/2 teaspoons salt. Bring to a boil, skimming foam, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, until chicken is cooked through, 30 to 40 minutes. Transfer to a plate to cool slightly (reserve broth).
• Add papas criollas to reserved broth (if using russet potatoes, peel and coarsely grate first) and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are falling apart and beginning to thicken broth (mash if necessary), 20 to 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, peel Yukon Golds and boiling potatoes and cut into 1-inch pieces, then add to pot and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until almost tender, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Add corn, 1/4 cup cilantro, and 1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper and simmer, covered, until corn is tender, 5 to 10 minutes.
• While corn cooks, coarsely shred chicken, discarding skin and bones.
• Add chicken to stew and cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through. Season with salt.
• Serve stew with crema, capers, avocados, and remaining 1/2 cup cilantro, each in separate bowls (or add them to stew in pot just before serving).

COLOMBIAN CHICKEN, CORN, AND POTATO STEW

Steps:

• Pat chicken dry and season with 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Heat butter in a wide heavy 7- to 8-quart pot over moderately high heat until foam subsides, then brown chicken in 2 batches, skin side down first, turning occasionally, about 10 minutes. Transfer chicken as browned to a plate.
• Add onion to pot along with oregano and remaining teaspoon each salt and pepper and sauté, stirring, until light golden, about 5 minutes. Peel and coarsely grate russet potatoes and add to pot with chicken, broth, and water. Simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until chicken is cooked through, about 25 minutes. Transfer chicken with tongs to a cutting board to cool. Drain cubed yellow potatoes and add to pot.
• Simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until cubed potatoes are almost tender, about 10 minutes. Add corn and simmer, covered, until tender, 5 to 10 minutes more. While corn is cooking, remove skin and bones from chicken and coarsely shred meat. Add meat to pot and heat through.
• Serve stew with accompaniments in separate bowls.

COLOMBIAN CHICKEN STEW (PRESSURE COOKER)

Steps:

• Combine potatoes, onion, tomato, chicken pieces, bay leaves, and a large pinch of salt in a pressure cooker.
• Toss with hands or stir to combine.
• Seal lid and once at pressure cook for 25 minutes.
• Release pressure, remove lid, season to taste, and serve.

COLOMBIAN CHICKEN HOT POT (AJIACO)

Steps:

• Place chicken in a large stockpot and cover with water; add green onions, bay leaves, cilantro (see NOTE) and peppercorns.
• Bring to a boil, skimming the surface if necessary; once boiling, reduce heat and cook until chicken is tender, about an hour.
• Remove from heat and allow the chicken to cool in its cooking liquid.
• Remove the chicken and cut into eight pieces: 2 drumsticks, 2 thighs, cut each breast into 2 pieces, for a total of 4; discard the rest of the carcass.
• Skim off any fat from the stock, then strain it into a clean Dutch oven or large pot.
• Bring to a boil and add russet potatoes (or yuca) and the Yukon gold potatoes; cook about 15 minutes.
• Stir in the new potatoes and corn and simmer for an additional 20 minutes.
• Return the chicken to the pot, season with salt, if needed, and heat through.
• Meanwhile, just before serving, rough chop the egg, then mash in a small bowl; in another small bowl, scoop out the avocado flesh and mash that.
• Add the egg to the avocado, stir in the green onion, cilantro, green chili, and season with salt.
• Serve the chicken mixture in a heated casserole or earthenware dish, with the avocado salsa, capers, and sour cream on the side.
• NOTE: I, personally, find the taste of the cilantro too strong when it is added to make the stock, so I add it (like a bouquet garni) when the new potatoes are added (the last 20 minutes of cooking), then remove for serving.