Sancocho Venezolano

About This Recipe

Venezuelan sancocho is a soul-warming stew and one of the great one-pot dishes of Latin America. Chicken, corn on the cob and an array of tropical root vegetables — yuca, ñame, apio and plantain — are simmered in a fragrant herb broth until everything is tender and the broth is golden with fat. It is served as a restorative weekend meal and for family celebrations.

Ingredients

Serves 6

• 1.5 kgchicken pieces(bone-in thighs and drumsticks)
• 2 earscorn(cut into rounds)
• 300 gyuca (cassava)(peeled and cut into chunks)
• 2 mediumpotatoes(quartered)
• 1green plantain(peeled and cut into rounds)
• 1 largeonion(chopped)
• 1green bell pepper(chopped)
• 4 clovesgarlic(crushed)
• 1 bunchfresh coriander
• 1 bunchfresh parsley
• 1.5 litreswater
• 1 tspground cumin
• 1 tspsalt

Instructions

1. 1

   Build broth

   Place chicken, onion, pepper, garlic, cumin, coriander and parsley in a large pot with water. Bring to a boil. Skim foam. Simmer 30 minutes.

2. 2

   Add root vegetables

   Add yuca, potatoes and plantain. Simmer 20 minutes.

3. 3

   Add corn

   Add corn rounds. Simmer 15 more minutes until all vegetables are tender and chicken is falling off the bone.

4. 4

   Season

   Taste and adjust salt. The broth should be golden, fragrant and well-seasoned.

5. 5

   Serve

   Serve in deep bowls with plenty of broth. Accompany with avocado, white rice and a squeeze of lime.

Variations

• •

  Use beef instead of chicken for a richer sancocho de carne.

• •

  Add auyama (pumpkin) for sweetness and colour.

• •

  Vegetarian: swap the protein for roasted king oyster mushrooms, smoked tofu or cooked chickpeas — adjust seasoning slightly upward to compensate.

• •

  Spicier: add a finely chopped fresh chile or a teaspoon of crushed Aleppo/Urfa pepper to the aromatics for warm, layered heat instead of a single sharp hit.

Storage

Refrigerate for 3 days. The broth will gel from the chicken — this is good.

Frequently Asked Questions