ASOPAO DE POLLO (PUERTO RICAN CHICKEN AND RICE STEW)

Yield: 8 people
Ingredients: Sofrito; 8 cloves garlic; 1 onion; 2 tablespoons salt; 1/4 pound ham (as in ham steak, trim out the fat and; skin, save the bone for cooking beans or other soups); 1 green bell pepper, seeded and roughly chopped; 3 tablespoons of olive oil; Achiote paste or 1 envelope Sazon Goya with achiote (you can find; it at the Hispanic aisle in your supermarket by the; bouillon); 1 tablespoon tomato paste; 1/8 teaspoon pepper; 2 tablespoons oregano; 2 tablespoons vinegar; Stock:; 3 pounds chicken (1 whole chicken, cut in parts); 9 cups water; 1 onion, cut in half; 3 or 4 cloves of garlic; 1 carrot; 2 bay leaves; 2 bouillon cubes (optional); To assemble the asopao:; 2 yautias (taro root) or small yellow potatoes; 1 carrot, chopped; 1 cup of rice; 1 tablespoon capers; 1/2 cup olives (pitted or stuffed with red bell; peppers)

This is more a thick stew than a soup. It all depends on how much rice you put and how long you let it simmer. The longer it simmers, the thicker it becomes. This recipe includes a recipe for sofrito, the base of most Puerto Rican cookery. Don't be put off by the list of ingredients, it's easy to make and for the same work, you can double it to make extra that you can freeze and use in beans, rices or other stews. Serve asopao with a fresh tomato, palmito and avocado salad, and tostones on the side. For dessert, serve flan or fruit sorbet. I hope you enjoy this Puerto Rican classic.

July 12, 2005

Recipe information

Yield
8 people

Ingredients

Sofrito

8 cloves garlic

1 onion

2 tablespoons salt

1/4 pound ham (as in ham steak, trim out the fat and

skin, save the bone for cooking beans or other soups)

1 green bell pepper, seeded and roughly chopped

3 tablespoons of olive oil

Achiote paste or 1 envelope Sazon Goya with achiote (you can find

it at the Hispanic aisle in your supermarket by the

bouillon)

1 tablespoon tomato paste

1/8 teaspoon pepper

2 tablespoons oregano

2 tablespoons vinegar

Stock:

3 pounds chicken (1 whole chicken, cut in parts)

9 cups water

1 onion, cut in half

3 or 4 cloves of garlic

1 carrot

2 bay leaves

2 bouillon cubes (optional)

To assemble the asopao:

2 yautias (taro root) or small yellow potatoes

1 carrot, chopped

1 cup of rice

1 tablespoon capers

1/2 cup olives (pitted or stuffed with red bell

peppers)

6 cups chicken broth

Garnish (optional)

1 cup petit pois, cooked or asparagus spears

2 roasted red peppers

1 cup parmesan cheese

Preparation

For the sofrito: Roughly chop the garlic, onion, ham, bell pepper and sweat them in 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the tomato paste, achiote paste or sazon goya, oregano, salt, pepper, and vinegar cook for about 5 more minutes. Once cooked, puree it in the blender or food processor.
Make the stock and cook the chicken: Cook the chicken in 9 cups of water, and the rest of the stock ingredients except the taro roots or potatoes and chopped carrot. Cook for 30 minutes. Be careful not to boil or the chicken will get stringy. Once its cooked, take out the onions and the garlic. At this time you can shred the chicken.
Make the asopao: Return the chicken to the stock and add the taro root or potatoes cut in 1/2 inch pieces, the carrots, capers, olives, sofrito, and the rice (which has been previously soaking in water for 30 minutes.) Cook the asopao for about 25-30 minutes. Serve with garnishes.

TagsSoup/Stew Chicken Poultry

Recipe information

Ingredients

Preparation

Recipe notes