Aguadito

A green chicken and rice soup whose coriander is blended raw and stirred in at the very end.

Chicken. Not vegetarian — contains chicken.

Ingredients

• 1.2 kg chicken thighs and drumsticks, on the bone
• 2 large bunches coriander, leaves and soft stalks
• 2 tablespoons ají amarillo paste, as on its own page
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
• 150 g long-grain rice
• 2 potatoes, in chunks
• 150 g peas
• 1 carrot, diced
• 100 g green beans, in short lengths
• 1.8 litres water
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• juice of 1 lime
• salt and black pepper

Method

1. THE CORIANDER IS BLENDED RAW AND GOES IN AT THE END. Two whole bunches, blended with a ladleful of the hot broth and stirred through in the last two minutes off the heat. That is what makes aguadito green and what makes it taste of coriander rather than of chicken soup with herbs in it. Simmered with the rest, the colour goes grey-khaki within ten minutes and the flavour cooks flat -- and once that has happened there is no putting it back.
2. SO THE BLENDING IS THE LAST THING DONE. Blender ready, coriander washed, and it is used the moment the rice is cooked.
3. THE STALKS GO IN AS WELL AS THE LEAVES, the soft ones at least. They carry more flavour than the leaves and blend smooth; only the thick woody ends are discarded.
4. THE RICE IS COOKED IN THE SOUP AND IT WILL KEEP THICKENING. It is meant to be somewhere between a soup and a stew -- aguadito means the watery one, which tells you it is the looser of a pair -- so it is served as soon as the rice is done. Twenty minutes later it is a risotto, and more broth has to go in.
5. THE CHICKEN IS BROWNED FIRST AND COOKED ON THE BONE. The bones are most of what this broth has; boneless thigh gives a thin soup that the coriander then has to carry alone.
6. Chicken patted dry and seasoned. Browned in the oil in a heavy pot over a high heat, in two batches, 4 minutes a side. Lifted out.
7. The onion softened in the fat 8 minutes, then the garlic 1 minute.
8. The ají amarillo paste made as on its own page added and fried 2 minutes until it darkens slightly.
9. The water poured in, the chicken returned, and brought to a simmer. Skimmed.
10. Simmered 25 MINUTES until the chicken is tender.
11. The carrot and potatoes added, 10 minutes. The rice added, 12 minutes. The peas and beans for the last 4.
12. Meanwhile the coriander blended with a ladleful of the hot broth until completely smooth and bright green.
13. THE POT TAKEN OFF THE HEAT and the coriander purée stirred through.
14. The lime juice in, and tasted and salted. Plenty of black pepper.
15. Served at once, in deep bowls, while it is still loose.

Our own recipe. This one was written for this site rather than taken from anywhere, so there is no source to point you at. The quantities and the order of the steps are choices, not the only way to do it.

Filed under Peru · All recipes