The dish to eat in Bogotá · Colombia

Ajiaco santafereño

Name: Ajiaco santafereño
Total time: 1 h 30 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Colombia
Ingredients: 2 1/2 lb (1.1 kg) bone-in chicken breasts or a mix of breasts and thighs, skin removed; 10 cups (2.4 l) water; 1 bunch scallions, white and light green parts, cut in half; 4 garlic cloves, smashed; 1 bunch cilantro, stems tied with string, leaves kept for serving; 2 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste; 1 lb (450 g) papa criolla (small yellow potatoes; frozen from a Latin market is fine), peeled; 1 lb (450 g) waxy potatoes (Yukon Gold), peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks; 1 lb (450 g) floury potatoes (russet), peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks; 3 ears of corn, each cut into 3 pieces; 3 tbsp dried guascas (Latin markets or online); To serve: 3/4 cup (180 ml) heavy cream or crema, 1/3 cup capers drained, 2 ripe avocados sliced, steamed white rice

Photo: ProtoplasmaKid, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons · source

Chicken and three-potato soup flavored with guascas, served with corn, cream, capers and avocado.

A high-altitude soup for a chilly city: three kinds of potato melt into a thick broth, and the table adds cream, capers and avocado.

Where to eat it Cook it at home

Where to eat it: the best three in Bogotá

La Puerta Falsa
La Candelaria, Calle 11 #6-50, by Plaza de Bolívar
Order: Ajiaco, then chocolate santafereño with cheese and an almojábana
Open since 1816 and still a tiny room with a few tables; the city's oldest place to eat ajiaco.
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Casa Vieja
Three branches across Bogotá
Order: Ajiaco with its rice, avocado and cream on the side
The traditional Bogotá kitchen locals take visiting family to.
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Mamá Luz
La Perseverancia market
Order: Ajiaco at the market counter
A market cook whose soup is a Bogotá favorite, made fresh every morning.
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All three are on Chef Amazing’s list The best ajiaco santafereño in Bogotá, which you can save and take with you.

Cook it at home: Ajiaco santafereño

Serves 6Time 1 hr 30 min

Three potatoes do three jobs: the small yellow criollas dissolve to thicken the broth, the waxy ones hold their shape, and the floury ones go creamy. Guascas, a dried herb, gives ajiaco its taste.

Pans and tools

Large heavy pot (at least 6 quarts)
Slotted spoon
Two forks for shredding

You’ll need

2 1/2 lb (1.1 kg) bone-in chicken breasts or a mix of breasts and thighs, skin removed
10 cups (2.4 l) water
1 bunch scallions, white and light green parts, cut in half
4 garlic cloves, smashed
1 bunch cilantro, stems tied with string, leaves kept for serving
2 tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste
1 lb (450 g) papa criolla (small yellow potatoes; frozen from a Latin market is fine), peeled
1 lb (450 g) waxy potatoes (Yukon Gold), peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 lb (450 g) floury potatoes (russet), peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
3 ears of corn, each cut into 3 pieces
3 tbsp dried guascas (Latin markets or online)
To serve: 3/4 cup (180 ml) heavy cream or crema, 1/3 cup capers drained, 2 ripe avocados sliced, steamed white rice

Steps

Put the chicken, water, scallions, garlic, cilantro stems and salt in a large pot. Bring to a boil, skim off the foam, then simmer gently, partly covered, for 30 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.
Lift out the chicken and let it cool. Fish out and discard the scallions, garlic and cilantro stems.
Add the russet and Yukon potatoes to the broth and simmer 15 minutes.
Add the papa criolla and the corn and simmer another 20 to 25 minutes, stirring now and then, until the criollas fall apart and the russets start to break down. Mash some potato against the side of the pot to thicken the soup; it should coat a spoon like thin porridge.
While it simmers, shred the chicken into large strips, discarding the bones.
Stir in the guascas and the chicken and simmer 5 minutes more. Taste and add salt; it needs more than you think.
Ladle into wide bowls, making sure each gets a piece of corn. Pass the cream, capers, avocado, cilantro leaves and rice at the table so everyone finishes their own bowl.

Chef’s tips

No guascas? It's the one flavor you can't replace, but a pinch of dried oregano and extra cilantro gets you close.

Ajiaco thickens as it sits. Thin leftovers with water or broth when reheating.

In Bogotá the rice and avocado are eaten on the side, spoonful by spoonful.

Contains: Milk.

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