Sudado de Pollo

The story

Sudado de Pollo is a Colombian main with a clear sense of place. Sudado refers to a family of moist, covered Colombian stews in which meat and vegetables cook together in aromatic tomato-onion liquid. Chicken is one of the most familiar home versions. The recipe below keeps the defining ingredients and technique intact while giving practical metric quantities and enough detail for a home cook to judge texture, seasoning and doneness rather than simply follow a timer.

Ingredients

• 1200 g bone-in chicken thighs and drumsticks
• 650 g potatoespeeled and halved
• 350 g tomatoeschopped
• 130 g Spring onionssliced
• 150 g onionsliced
• 12 g Garlic
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 0.5 tsp annatto
• 550 ml chicken stock
• 35 g fresh coriander
• 20 ml neutral oil

Method

1. Season and brown the chicken in oil

   Season and brown the chicken in oil in a heavy pan, working in batches if necessary. Remove when the skin has colour but the meat is not cooked through.

   Tip: Use just enough liquid to braise. The chicken and vegetables release additional moisture under the lid. Avoid: Too much stock turns it into soup; small potato pieces disintegrate; hard boiling toughens chicken and breaks the sauce.

2. Cook spring onions, onion, tomato, garlic, cumin

   Cook spring onions, onion, tomato, garlic, cumin and annatto for 8 minutes until the vegetables soften into a loose hogao.

   Look for: the vegetables soften into a loose hogao

3. Return chicken and nestle potato halves around

   Return chicken and nestle potato halves around it. Pour in stock, cover and simmer gently for 30 minutes.

4. Turn the chicken and potatoes once

   Turn the chicken and potatoes once. Uncover for the final 10–15 minutes so the liquid reduces into a light sauce rather than staying soupy.

5. Stir in most of the coriander and

   Stir in most of the coriander and check the potatoes with a knife; they should be completely tender without falling apart.

6. Rest for 5 minutes, spoon sauce over

   Rest for 5 minutes, spoon sauce over the chicken and serve with white rice and avocado.

   Look for: Chicken is tender at the bone, potatoes cut cleanly and the sauce lightly coats both rather than running like broth.

Nutrition

per serving

Estimated from the listed ingredients and default serving size. Actual values vary with brands, trimming, absorption and cooking losses.