Name: Inspired Guiso de Morrocoy: A Chicken Version from Ariguaní
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 1 h 15 min
Total time: 2 h 5 min
Cuisine: Colombian
Ingredients: 900 g boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 4 cm pieces; 15 g neutral oil; 150 g white onion, finely diced; 300 g ripe tomatoes, finely chopped; 15 g garlic cloves, minced; 2 g ground cumin; 2 g ground achiote (annatto); 250 ml low-sodium chicken stock or water; 6 g fine salt, divided or adjusted to taste; 10 g cilantro leaves and tender stems, chopped; 250 g long-grain white rice, rinsed and drained; 250 ml unsweetened canned coconut milk, well stirred; 350 ml water; 2 g fine salt; 600 g peeled cassava (yuca), cut into 5 cm chunks; 2 g fine salt; 6 pieces food-safe banana leaf, softened over a flame, or parchment for wrapping; Kitchen twine, if using leaves

Shredded chicken in tomato and achiote sauce with coconut rice and a leaf-wrapped cassava bollo.

Region Ariguaní, Magdalena, Colombia, in the Caribbean region

Dish type Shredded chicken stew with coconut rice and cassava bollo

Yield 6 servings

Prep time 45 minutes active

Cook time About 75 minutes

Ingredients ↓

Overview

Inspired Guiso de Morrocoy: A Chicken Version from Ariguaní

Ariguaní's municipal recipe inventory records guiso de morrocoy for special occasions. It describes shredded morrocoy meat seasoned with onion, tomato and “color,” served with coconut rice and bollo de yuca. The entry is a short cultural record, not a complete measured recipe.

This version keeps the documented seasoning profile and accompaniments but uses chicken. Colombia's environment ministry advises people not to consume foods connected to wildlife trafficking, including morrocoy tortoise; the Defensoría identifies the red-footed tortoise as Vulnerable nationally. This recipe does not reproduce the original animal preparation and gives no instructions for sourcing or cooking wildlife.

Boneless chicken thighs shred easily and stay moist in the tomato sofrito. Achiote provides the warm color described in the inventory. Cook the rice and cassava bollo separately so each component keeps its texture, then serve them together as a generous regional-style plate.

Ingredients

Chicken guiso

900 g boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 4 cm pieces
15 g neutral oil
150 g white onion, finely diced
300 g ripe tomatoes, finely chopped
15 g garlic cloves, minced
2 g ground cumin
2 g ground achiote (annatto)
250 ml low-sodium chicken stock or water
6 g fine salt, divided or adjusted to taste
10 g cilantro leaves and tender stems, chopped

Coconut rice

250 g long-grain white rice, rinsed and drained
250 ml unsweetened canned coconut milk, well stirred
350 ml water
2 g fine salt

Cassava bollo

600 g peeled cassava (yuca), cut into 5 cm chunks
2 g fine salt
6 pieces food-safe banana leaf, softened over a flame, or parchment for wrapping
Kitchen twine, if using leaves

Method

Steam the cassava until tender. Put the cassava in a steamer over simmering water, cover, and cook for 20–25 minutes. A knife should pass through the thickest pieces easily. Let it cool just enough to handle, remove any woody center, and mash until mostly smooth. Mix in 2 g salt.
Shape and steam the bollos. Divide the cassava into six portions and shape each into a short oval. Wrap each in softened banana leaf and tie loosely, or use parchment packets. Steam for 20 minutes until firm and hot throughout. Keep covered while you cook the remaining components.
Start the coconut rice. Combine rinsed rice, coconut milk, water, and 2 g salt in a lidded saucepan. Bring to a boil, stir once, cover, and reduce to low. Cook for 15 minutes, then turn off the heat and leave covered for 10 minutes. Fluff gently with a fork.
Build the sofrito. Heat the oil in a heavy pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 5–7 minutes until soft and translucent. Stir in the tomatoes and cook for 8–10 minutes, until they collapse into a thick sauce. Add garlic, cumin, achiote, and about 4 g of the salt; cook for 1 minute.
Simmer the chicken. Add the chicken and turn the pieces to coat them in the sofrito. Pour in the stock or water, cover, and simmer gently for 25–30 minutes, stirring once or twice. Check a thick piece with a food thermometer; it must reach 74°C. If needed, simmer a few minutes longer.
Shred and finish. Lift the chicken onto a clean plate and shred it with two forks. Return it to the pot and simmer uncovered for 3–5 minutes, until the sauce clings to the meat. Taste and adjust the salt. Stir in cilantro, rest for 5 minutes, and serve with coconut rice and a cassava bollo.

Practical guidance

Practical

Equipment

Use a heavy lidded pot for the guiso, a saucepan with a tight-fitting lid for rice, and a steamer basket or rack set over a pot for the bollo. A potato masher, tongs, sharp knife, cutting board, and food thermometer are useful. Keep the three cooking components separate until serving.

Practical guidance

Use low-sodium stock so the salt stays adjustable. If the sauce thickens before the chicken is cooked, add a splash of hot water. For a smooth, even sofrito, chop the tomato finely; for a more textured guiso, leave slightly larger pieces. Banana leaves soften when briefly warmed over a low flame. Do not use leaves that are moldy, chemically treated, or not sold as food-safe. Keep raw chicken and its utensils separate from cooked rice and cassava. Refrigerate leftovers in shallow containers within 2 hours; use within 3–4 days or freeze. Reheat all components to 74°C. Coconut is the declared allergen. Check the coconut milk label for additional ingredients or cross-contact statements.

Allergens and food safety

Contains coconut. Check all package labels for additional allergens and cross-contact information. Prevent raw-poultry cross-contamination, and cook chicken to 74°C in the thickest pieces. Refrigerate chicken, rice, and bollo within 2 hours. Use leftovers within 3–4 days, or freeze; reheat to 74°C. Do not prepare or serve morrocoy or other wild turtle meat.

Final notes

1: Spoon the tomato sauce over the chicken just before serving so the shredded meat stays moist. 2: Keep the rice and cassava bollo on the plate as separate accompaniments, as recorded for the Ariguaní dish.

Nutrition per serving

Serving basis: one of six servings with chicken guiso, coconut rice, and cassava bollo
Calories: 730 kcal
Carbohydrates: 81 g
Protein: 42 g
Fat: 24 g
Fibre: 4 g
Sodium: 820 mg

Inspired Guiso de Morrocoy: A Chicken Version from Ariguaní

Ingredients

Chicken guiso

Coconut rice

Cassava bollo

Method

Practical

Equipment

Practical guidance

Allergens and food safety

Final notes

Nutrition per serving

Colombian National Dishes

Guiso de Chivo: San Andrés Goat Stew with Dumplings and Coconut Rice

Inspired Guiso de Iguana: Smoked-Style Chicken from San Estanislao

Pernil de Cerdo Relleno: Stuffed Pork Leg from San Estanislao