Ajiaco Santafereño

Ingredients

• 1kg bone-in chicken breasts or thighs, skin removed
• 2.5 litres water
• 500g papa criolla (small yellow Andean potatoes), peeled
• 600g floury white potatoes such as Maris Piper, peeled and sliced 5mm thick
• 500g waxy red potatoes, peeled and cut into 2cm chunks
• 3 corn cobs, each cut into 3 pieces
• 1 onion, halved
• 4 spring onions, whole
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 bunch coriander, tied with string
• 30g dried guascas
• 2 tsp salt, plus more to taste
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 200ml double cream, to serve
• 4 tbsp capers, drained, to serve
• 2 avocados, sliced, to serve
• cooked white rice, to serve

Before you cook

• Peel all three kinds of potato and keep them in separate bowls of cold water.
• Slice the floury potatoes thinly, chop the red potatoes into chunks and leave the papa criolla whole if they are small.
• Cut the corn cobs into thirds.
• Tie the coriander stems into a bundle with kitchen string so you can lift it out later.

Steps

1. Put the chicken, water, halved onion, whole spring onions, garlic, coriander bundle, salt and pepper into a large pot.
2. Bring the pot to the boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 25 minutes, skimming off any foam that rises.
3. Lift the chicken out onto a plate and leave it to cool.
4. Fish out the onion, spring onions and coriander bundle and discard them.
5. Add the corn pieces and the sliced floury potatoes to the broth and simmer for 25 minutes, so the slices dissolve and start to thicken the soup.
6. Add the papa criolla and simmer for 20 minutes until they collapse and turn the broth golden and creamy.
7. Stir in the red potato chunks and cook for 15 minutes, keeping these ones intact for texture.
8. Rub half the guascas between your palms into the pot and simmer for 10 minutes.
9. Pull the cooled chicken from the bones and shred it into large pieces.
10. Return the shredded chicken to the pot and warm it through for 5 minutes.
11. Add the rest of the guascas, taste the soup and adjust the salt.
12. Ladle the ajiaco into deep bowls, making sure each gets a piece of corn.
13. Set out the cream, capers, avocado and rice so everyone can finish their own bowl at the table.