Ajiaco Bogotano

Ingredients

• 1.2 kg bone-in chicken pieces, skin on
• 400 g papa pastusa, peeled, cut into large chunks
• 400 g papa R12 or papa guata, peeled, cut into chunks
• 400 g papa criolla (papa amarilla), halved; substitute Yukon Gold if unavailable
• 2 ears of corn on the cob, cut into rounds, approximately 4 cm thick
• 30 g dried guascas (Galinsoga parviflora), crumbled
• 2 litres water
• To serve
• 120 ml heavy cream, in a jug at the table
• 60 g capers, with brine, in a bowl at the table
• 2 ripe avocados, halved and stoned, served at the table

Method

1. 1
   Place the bone-in chicken pieces in a large pot with the water. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, skimming any grey foam that rises. Add the papa pastusa, the papa R12 or guata, the corn rounds, and the guascas. Maintain a steady, uncovered simmer. The broth is ready to proceed when the chicken is cooked through and the pastusa chunks are just beginning to yield at the edges — approximately 40 to 45 minutes.
2. 2
   Lift the chicken from the broth. When cool enough to handle, strip the meat from the bones and shred it into substantial pieces. Discard the bones and skin. Return the shredded chicken to the pot.
3. 3
   Add the papa criolla to the pot with exactly 30 minutes of cooking time remaining. This is where the dish lives or dies: added too early, the papa criolla dissolves entirely and is lost; added too late, it contributes chunks to a thin broth rather than the creamy, golden-yellow body that defines ajiaco bogotano. The broth is ready when it has turned opaque and pale gold and coats the back of a spoon lightly — the papa criolla will have largely dissolved into it.
4. 4
   Taste the broth for salt. Ladle into warmed clay pots or deep bowls, ensuring each portion receives corn rounds, shredded chicken, and pieces of pastusa and the third variety. Serve immediately, with the heavy cream, capers and their brine, and halved avocados arranged separately at the table for each diner to add according to preference.