Caldo de Pollo
Rachel Forrest is a food and drink writer and cookbook author living in Oxmul Kah, Belize with her husband, Jim, three dogs, a cat and a parrot. She is the co-author of Maine Classics: 150 Delicious Recipes from Downeast and is a Content Strategist for Gannett and Contributing Editor at Eat Drink Lucky.
This is a traditional Mayan chicken soup.
- Servings Serves 6
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken, cut into pieces
- Salt and pepper to taste
- .5 Kg (1 pound) choco with summer squash as a substitute, cut into chunks
- 6 cloves garlic, mashed
- 60 ml (1/4 cup) chopped fresh cilantro
- 120 ml (1/2 cup) chopped fresh mint
- 15 ml (1 tablespoon) annatto paste
- 5 ml (1 teaspoon) habanero powder
- .9 Kg (2 pounds) potatoes, peeled and chopped into chunks
- 2 ripe plantain, cut into quarters
- Corn tortillas for serving
Preparation
Place 2.8 liters (3 quarts) of water into a large soup pot and add the chicken pieces. Add the salt. Bring to a boil, then add the choco or squash and garlic, herbs, annatto and habanero powder. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 30-45 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Add the potatoes and plantain and cook for 10 more minutes. Serve with tortillas.
Rachel Forrest
Rachel Forrest is a freelance features journalist living in Belize. She is co-author of Maine Classics: 150 Delicious Recipes from Downeast with James Beard Award winning chefs Mark Gaier and Clark Frasier and Contributing Editor at Eat Drink Lucky. Check-in to www.rachel-forrest.com for updates and news about some exciting upcoming projects, including “This Belizean Life”, a compilation of stories, audio and video about the wonderful people living in or near Oxmul Kah.
Photo credit: David J. Murray
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