Best 5 Ajiaco Recipes

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 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 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 CRIOLLO -- CUBAN COUNTRY-STYLE STEW RECIPE

Steps:

• Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Sauté the bacon until most of the oil is released; remove bacon from pan. Lightly salt and pepper the chicken, pork, and beef. Dredge in flour; brown the meat (chicken first) in the hot, bacon-flavored oil. Remove the browned meats from the oil. Put all the meats (including the bacon) in a large, heavy 8-quart stockpot; add the beef and ham stocks and red wine. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, for 1 hour. Heat 1/4 cup olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Sauté the onion and green pepper until the onion is translucent. Add the garlic, paprika, salt, pepper, cumin, and tomatoes, and cook for about 5 minutes. At about the 45-minute point in the cooking, add this sautéed vegetable mixture and the bay leaf to the cooking meat and the broth in the stockpot. Let simmer for 15 minutes while you peel and cut the vegetables. Peel the malanga, boniato, yuca, and calabaza; cut into cubes and add to the broth. Cut the corn and plantains into 2-inch chunks. Add the corn and green plantains to the simmering stew. After about 20 minutes, add the semi-ripe plantains and the lime juice; continue cooking for an additional 20 to 30 minutes. The plantain and root vegetables need to be tender! Thicken the stew slightly by whisking in the cornstarch mixed with water. Just before serving, stir in the cream. Serve hot in large bowls with Pan Cubano-Cuban Bread.

AJIACO (COLOMBIAN CHICKEN SOUP)

Steps:

• Make the soup: 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. Make the aji: In a food processor, pulse all the aji ingredients until they're finely minced. Transfer to a serving bowl. Serve the ajiaco: 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. Make Ahead Tips The soup and the aji can be made a day ahead. If the soup is too thick after it's reheated, thin it with a little water. nutrition information (per serving): Fat (kcal): 46; Fat Calories (g): 440; Saturated Fat (g): 19; Protein (g): 170; Monounsaturated Fat (g): 6; Carbohydrates (g): 26; Polyunsaturated Fat (g): 8; Sodium (mg): 70; Cholesterol (mg): 3; Fiber (g): 1300; From Fine Cooking 60, pp. 34 October 1, 2003