Sancocho With Aji Recipes

SANCOCHO

Steps:

• Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a medium pot. Add the chicken, garlic powder, oregano and some salt and pepper, and brown for about 10 minutes.
• Add the corn, carrots, plantains and sweet potatoes to the pot and cook for 10 minutes.
• Add the chicken broth and culantro base, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 45 minutes.
• Add the cilantro, green onions and yucca, and simmer for another 10 minutes.
• Serve with a side of coconut rice.

SANCOCHO WITH AJI

Steps:

• For the aji:
• Place the cilantro, scallions, chiles, onions, lime juice and 3/4 cup water in a small glass bowl or jar with a tight fitting lid.
• Add the tomato if using, season with salt, to taste, and stir all of the ingredients together.
• Cover and set the aji aside at room temperature for several hours to allow the flavors to release into the liquid, then refrigerate until serving.
• Heat the oil in a large stockpot over medium heat for 1 minute.
• Add the onions and garlic and cook until they're soft and transparent, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Add the tomatoes, bay leaves, and thyme and continue to cook 5 more minutes.
• Add the chicken and the beef ribs and cook until the tomatoes have disintegrated, about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally and skimming the foam from the top of the broth when necessary.
• Add the green plantains, cilantro, and chicken stock and bring to a boil.
• Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, until the plantains are tender, 30 minutes.
• Using a slotted spoon, remove the chicken from the pot and set it aside.
• Add the potatoes, pumpkin, ripe plantains, yucca and corn and simmer, uncovered, until both are tender, about 20 minutes.
• Remove the cilantro and the bay leaves and return the chicken to the pot to re-heat it.
• To serve, arrange a piece of chicken, some beef, plantains, and a few pieces of yucca and potatoes on each plate.
• Serve the broth in a small bowl, and the aji sauce on the side, along with a bowl of rice, corn, some avocados and arepas or tortillas on separate plates.

SANCOCHO RECIPE (LATIN AMERICAN STEW)

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large pot or Dutch oven to medium heat and add the peppers and onions. Cook for 5 minutes to soften, stirring.
• Add the garlic and cilantro and stir. Cook for 1 minute.
• Add the beef, pork and chicken pieces with the oregano. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, to brown the meats.
• Add the corn, yuca, yam, squash and plantains (and any other root vegetables you're using).
• Add tomato sauce and enough water or stock to cover. Adjust with salt and pepper. Cover and simmer for 2.5 to 3 hours, or until the meats are very tender.
• Remove the plantains from the stew and mash them slightly in a separate bowl. Return to the pot and cook another 2 minutes.
• Serve with white rice and crusty bread.

SANCOCHO DE GALLINA

Steps:

• Put the chicken or hen with the whole scallions, onion and cilantro in a large pot with the water. Cover and cook over high heat until boiling then reduce to low and simmer until cooked through and tender, 20 to 25 minutes for chicken or 45 minutes if using a hen. Remove the chicken from the pot and set aside. Remove whole scallions and onion and discard. Reserve the stock.
• While the chicken cooks, prepare the sofrito. In a heavy skillet, heat the olive oil over medium to low heat and add all the ingredients for sofrito but the saffron. Saute the sofrito until very tender and paste-like, about 10 minutes. Add chicken pieces to sofrito and mix well continuing to saute for another 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, bring the stock to a simmer. Add the plantains and cook for 10 minutes. Then add the yucca, potatoes, corn, 1/4 cup chopped cilantro, and chicken cubes and simmer for another 10 minutes, orr until all the vegetables are tender when pierced. Add sofrito mix with chicken to the broth. Mix well. Simmer for another 5 minutes and remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper.
• Before serving, garnish with chopped cilantro. Serve with avocado slices.

SANCOCHO

Steps:

• To make the recaito, process the onion, bell pepper, frying pepper, garlic and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a blender until it resembles a very chunky sauce. Add the cilantro and blend until the sauce is combined and has a slightly chunky consistency, about 30 seconds. Set aside 1/2 cup of the recaito you've just made and freeze the rest for future preparations.
• Add the remaining olive oil to a very large, heavy-bottomed soup pot over medium-high heat. Dry the oxtails and add salt and pepper. Brown the oxtails in batches, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove and set aside on a plate or platter.
• Remove excess fat from the pot you browned the oxtails in, leaving about 2 tablespoons in the pot. Add the reserved 1/2 cup recaito and saute until fragrant. Add the adobo, oregano and bay leaves, then stir in the tomato sauce and saute for 1 minute. Add the red wine and chicken stock and bring to a boil. Taste the broth and add salt and pepper to taste, remembering that as the broth reduces it will become saltier; don't go overboard. Add the oxtails back to the pot. Lower the heat and cover the pot, leaving the lid slightly cracked. Simmer until the meat is beginning to become tender and fall apart, about 2 hours.
• Skim the fat off the top of the stew. Add the potatoes, yucca, plantains, pumpkin and corn. Top with more chicken stock, if necessary, to cover all the vegetables. Put the lid back on and simmer until the root vegetables are tender, 30 to 45 minutes.
• Taste the broth, season with salt and pepper and garnish with cilantro leaves. Serve with a side of rice if desired.