Name: Gallina ahumada con leche de coco — Bolívar Smoked Hen in Coconut Milk
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 3 h 30 min
Total time: 12 h 10 min
Cuisine: Colombian
Ingredients: 1.8 kg dressed creole hen, giblets removed; 12 g fine salt; 300 g ripe tomatoes, chopped; 250 g red onion, chopped; 100 g scallions, chopped; 100 g ají dulce, seeded and chopped; 18 g garlic, crushed; 2 g ground cumin; 1 g ground allspice; 3 g achiote; 60 ml criollo lime juice; 1.5 L water, plus up to 500 ml hot water as needed; 250 ml thick, unsweetened coconut milk; 600 g dry white rice, for coconut rice; 300 g cucumber, diced; 100 g red onion, thinly sliced; 150 g ripe tomato, diced; 30 ml lime juice

Wide table view of smoked hen in coconut sauce with rice and fresh salad.

Region Bolívar, Colombian Caribbean

Category Hot-smoked poultry guiso

Yield 8 main-course servings

Preparation time 40 minutes, plus 8 hours refrigerated salting

Active time About 70 minutes

Ingredients ↓

Overview

Gallina ahumada con leche de coco — Bolívar Smoked Hen in Coconut Milk

Hot-smoked creole hen is gently braised with ají dulce, lime and aromatics, then finished with coconut milk.

This Bolívar guiso is built around a clear sequence: season a creole hen, give it a controlled hot smoke, then braise it with tomato, red onion, scallion and ají dulce until tender. Thick coconut milk goes in at the end, bringing the smoky broth together without masking the bird. The documented preparation is served with coconut rice and a crisp cucumber, tomato and red-onion salad.

The source version gives quantities for a large gathering but not exact seasoning weights or liquid volume. This measured home version serves eight and keeps its defining ingredients. A covered overnight salt rest helps season the meat; the smoke itself must stay actively hot and controlled. Never leave raw poultry overnight in an unheated smoker or cold-smoke it.

Use a reliable probe thermometer in several places. The bird must reach 74°C in the thickest breast and innermost thigh or wing before it leaves the smoker, and it goes directly into the braise. Golden skin and smoke aroma are flavor cues, not safety checks. The final sauce should be glossy, lightly thickened and savory, with the coconut still distinct.

Ingredients

Hen and seasoning

1.8 kg dressed creole hen, giblets removed
12 g fine salt
300 g ripe tomatoes, chopped
250 g red onion, chopped
100 g scallions, chopped
100 g ají dulce, seeded and chopped
18 g garlic, crushed
2 g ground cumin
1 g ground allspice
3 g achiote
60 ml criollo lime juice
1.5 L water, plus up to 500 ml hot water as needed
250 ml thick, unsweetened coconut milk

Coconut rice and salad

600 g dry white rice, for coconut rice
300 g cucumber, diced
100 g red onion, thinly sliced
150 g ripe tomato, diced
30 ml lime juice

Method

Salt the hen under refrigeration Pat the hen dry, rub all over with 12 g salt, cover and refrigerate at 4°C or colder for 8 hours. Keep raw poultry chilled and separate from ready-to-eat foods. Do not leave it on the counter or in an unheated smoker overnight.
Prepare a controlled hot smoker Set up the smoker for indirect heat and preheat to about 120°C. Use a clean rack and a reliable thermometer. Do not cold-smoke raw poultry. Keep the heat active throughout smoking, and have the braising pot ready so cooking continues without a cooling pause.
Smoke to a safe temperature Smoke the hen for roughly 2–3 hours, turning if needed for even color. Check the thickest breast and innermost thigh and wing, inserting the probe away from bone. Every checked area must reach 74°C before the bird leaves the smoker. Time and golden color alone cannot confirm safety.
Cut the hen and prepare the aromatics Move the hot hen straight to a clean board and cut it into 8 serving pieces. Chop the tomatoes, red onion, scallions and ají dulce; crush the garlic. Mix the cumin, allspice and achiote with the lime juice. Wash hands and tools after raw-poultry contact.
Braise until tender Put the hen, chopped aromatics, spice mixture and 1.5 L water in a heavy pot. Bring to a gentle simmer, partly cover and cook for 60–90 minutes, turning pieces once or twice. Add up to 500 ml hot water if needed. The meat should be tender; verify the thickest pieces still reach 74°C.
Finish with coconut milk Stir in 250 ml coconut milk and simmer uncovered for 10–15 minutes, until the sauce lightly coats a spoon. Taste before adding any more salt. The sauce should be savory and gently tangy, not reduced until dry.
Make the salad and serve Prepare coconut rice separately according to the rice variety and package directions. Toss cucumber, salad onion, tomato and lime juice just before serving. Serve a piece of hen and coconut sauce with rice and salad. Refrigerate leftovers in shallow containers within 2 hours and reheat thoroughly until steaming hot.

Practical guidance

Practical

Nutrition per serving

These rounded estimates use Colombian food-composition data for whole hen with skin and an assumed 60% edible yield, plus the measured coconut milk and seasonings. Skin, rendered fat and salt retention vary, so actual values may differ. Rice and salad are excluded.

Practical guidance

Keep the smoke hot. This is a hot-smoked preparation. Maintain the smoker near 120°C and verify 74°C in the breast, thigh and wing. If the smoker cannot hold active heat, finish the bird in a 120°C oven; never rely on ambient smoke or color. Choose the hen carefully. A dressed creole hen gives the firm texture and flavor associated with this preparation. A similar whole stewing chicken can work, though it may cook faster. Keep the bird whole while smoking, then cut it for the braise. Control the sauce. Add the coconut milk after the meat is tender and simmer gently. A hard boil can make the sauce greasy or cause separation. Add reserved hot water if the pot becomes too concentrated before the hen is tender. Serve fresh. The cucumber salad adds a cool, crisp counterpoint to the smoky coconut sauce. Dress it shortly before eating, and keep coconut rice and salad separate from the poultry until serving. Allergens and storage. The recipe contains poultry and coconut; check packaged coconut milk and spice labels for cross-contact details. Refrigerate cooked food within 2 hours. Reheat leftovers thoroughly until steaming hot throughout.

Final notes

Remember 1: Refrigerate the salted hen overnight, then hot-smoke it with active heat until every checked part reaches 74°C. Remember 2: Braise the smoked pieces until tender; add coconut milk near the end and serve with coconut rice and fresh salad.

Nutrition per serving

Serving basis: One-eighth of hen and coconut sauce; excludes rice and salad
Calories: About 390 kcal
Carbohydrates: About 9 g
Protein: About 30 g
Fat: About 27 g
Fibre: About 2 g
Sodium: About 700 mg

Gallina ahumada con leche de coco — Bolívar Smoked Hen in Coconut Milk

Ingredients

Hen and seasoning

Coconut rice and salad

Method

Practical

Nutrition per serving

Practical guidance

Final notes

Nutrition per serving

Colombian National Dishes

Pescado con lulo — Chocó Grilled River Fish Stuffed with Lulo

Bocachico en zumo de coco — Chocó River Fish Stew with Coconut

Albondigas de pescado — Chocó-Style Colombian Fish Meatballs