Ajiaco

(A-HE-YA-KO)

Ingredients

800g of chicken breast
500g of peeled and sliced white flesh potatoes
800g peeled and sliced Creole potatoes (or small golden Yukon potatoes)
500g peeled and sliced sabanera potatoes (or purple or red potatoes)
2 tender corn cobs
1 carrot
1 celery stalk
2 boiled eggs
100g washed capers
2 medium avocados, peeled and cut into medium cubes
2 green onions uncut, just the white part
1 sprig of gallant soldier (guasca)
250ml or 1 cup of heavy cream
40ml or 2 tbsp of sunflower oil
1 chicken broth cube
Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Step 1

Remove the skin from the chicken and bring it to a boil in a pot of water (about 12 cups).

Step 2

Add salt and the peeled carrot. Tie the celery stalk, a long green onion, and the cilantro together so that they may be removed later. Add a cube of chicken broth.

Step 3

Peel and cut the potatoes into slices of about 3 cm (put them in water so they won’t turn black). Incorporate them into the soup.

Step 4

Add the guasca leaves to the soup.

Step 5

Peel the corn and cut them into chunks of approximately 5 or 6 cm. If they are sweet, cook them separately and if they are the tougher kind (like field corn), add them to the soup. Mix everything with a wooden spoon. Let it boil.

Step 6

Peel the boiled eggs and cut them into small pieces.

Step 7

Cut the avocado into medium pieces and put aside on a tray. (It is important to leave the seed in to prevent it from turning black).

Step 8

Shred the chicken into small pieces. Add half to the soup and set the other half aside to serve at the table.

Step 9

Arrange egg, cream, and capers in small bowls, one per person.

Serve soup in a deep plate, accompanied with rice, avocado, and, if you wish, fried plantain.

THE HISTORY OF THE DISH