Culinary Travel: Bolivia

Cochabamba is one of Bolivia’s boom cities and has a distinct, almost Mediterranean, vitality that perhaps owes something to its clement climate. While much of the city’s population is typically poor, parts of town have a notably prosperous feel. The spacious new-town avenues have a wide choice of restaurants, eagerly grazed by the food-crazy cochabambinos, and the bar scene is lively, driven by students and young professionals. Despite this, Cochabamba remains a very affordable city, with prices far below those in Sucre or La Paz.

Picante de Pollo (Spicy chicken)

Instruction  
3 pounds chicken, divided into parts
¼ cup ají (or ground cayenne pepper)

2 cups of white onion, cut into small strips
1 cup tomato, peeled and finely chopped
½ cup fresh locoto or chili pepper, finely chopped
1 cup green peas, peeled
½ cup parsley, finely chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon crumbled oregano
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon salt
3 garlic cloves, peeled, chopped and roasted
3 cups broth or water
2 spoonfuls oil

Direction:
In a large casserole put the chicken pieces with all the other ingredients. Pour the broth or water until covering the ingredients completely. Set to cook over high heat until it boils, and later over low heat for at least an hour and a half or until the chicken is soft. Stir occasionally.

If while cooking the broth diminished much, add a little bit more of broth or water so that when serving there is enough liquid. In a deep plate serve one piece of spicy chicken with one boiled potato, cooked aside, chuño phuti and uncooked sauce on top. Finally, sprinkle the chopped parsley on top of the spicy chicken.

Note: This dish has variations as well, included a non-spicy one and another which is served with chuño (dried potatoes) in a peanut and cheese sauce. The one above is from Cochabamba.

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