Name: Ajiaco (Chicken and Potato Soup)
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 2 h 10 min
Total time: PT-476273H40M37S
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Colombian
Ingredients: ¼ medium white onion, sliced; 2 green onions; 2 cloves garlic, whole; ½ cup (25g) whole cilantro; 1 bay leaf; Cheesecloth; Cooking or kitchen twine; 2 medium half chicken breasts, bone in; 2 chicken bouillons; 12 cups (2.8 liters) water; Salt and pepper to taste; 3 medium red potatoes; 2 ears of corn; 3 large russet potatoes; 1 lb papa criolla (Fresh or frozen); ¼ cup (4 tbsp) dehydrated guascas (Use one bunch if using fresh)

Ingredients

Scale

¼ medium white onion, sliced
2 green onions
2 cloves garlic, whole
½ cup (25g) whole cilantro
1 bay leaf
Cheesecloth
Cooking or kitchen twine
2 medium half chicken breasts, bone in
2 chicken bouillons
12 cups (2.8 liters) water
Salt and pepper to taste
3 medium red potatoes
2 ears of corn
3 large russet potatoes
1 lb papa criolla (Fresh or frozen)
¼ cup (4 tbsp) dehydrated guascas (Use one bunch if using fresh)

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Instructions

Place the white onion, green onions, garlic, cilantro and bay leaf inside the cheesecloth. Gather all four corners to make a bundle. Tie it up using the cooking or kitchen twine and cut off the excess.
In a large pot or dutch oven add the chicken breasts, the cheesecloth seasoning pouch, the water, chicken bouillons, salt and pepper. Cover, bring to a boil and cook over medium low heat for about 35-40 minutes or until the chicken breasts are fully cooked. Remove the chicken from the pot, let it cool and then shred it into big pieces.
Peel and cut the potatoes into very thin slices. The papa criolla can be cut in half if using frozen. First add the red potatoes with the corn into the pot, cover, bring to a boil and cook for 10 minutes. Then add the russet potatoes, cover again, bring to a boil and cook for 20 more minutes. Finally, add the papa criolla and half of the amount of guascas. Cover again, bring to a boil, lower the heat to low and cook for about an hour or until the soup thickens.
After about an hour remove the corn and cut it into three pieces each. Remove the seasoning pouch as well and toss it. If the potatoes have not disintegrated, you can let the soup cook a little while longer or mash them with a potato masher or hand held blender. Add the remainder of the guascas. Add more salt and pepper, if needed.
Add the corn pieces back into the pot, as well as the shredded chicken. Serve immediately with a side of capers, white rice, avocado and heavy cream.

Notes

A good substitute for papa criolla would be small yellow potatoes which can be easily found at any grocery store.