Sancocho recipe

Panamanian sancocho de gallina gets its body from name yam melting into the broth and its whole flavour from culantro, not cilantro.

2 hours and 25 minuteseasy8 ingredients

Ingredients

• 1500 g stewing hen
• 800 g name yam
• 1 bunch culantro
• 1 onion
• 3 clove garlic
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp salt
• 3000 ml water

How to make Sancocho

1. Cut a 1.5 kg stewing hen into pieces, rub with 3 crushed garlic cloves, 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp dried oregano, and leave 30 minutes.
2. Put the hen in a heavy pot with 3 litres of water and 1 chopped onion, bring to the boil and skim the foam.
3. Simmer covered for 1 hour; a laying hen needs that time and the broth gets its body only from long cooking.
4. Peel 800 g of name yam, cut it into large chunks and add it, then simmer uncovered 40 minutes until the edges dissolve and thicken the broth.
5. Stir in a good handful of chopped culantro in the last 5 minutes; culantro is the long serrated leaf, far stronger than cilantro, and it is what makes the soup Panamanian.
6. Adjust the salt and serve very hot with white rice on the side, to be mixed in spoonful by spoonful.

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