Name: Sancocho de Gallina Criolla from San Sebastián de Buenavista (Magdalena, Colombia)
Prep time: 40 min
Cook time: 3 h 20 min
Total time: 4 h
Cuisine: Colombian
Ingredients: 1.8 kg whole country hen (gallina criolla), cut into 5 bone-in portions; 3.2 L cold water; 600 g green plantain (about 2 medium), peeled and cut into 5 cm pieces just before adding; 500 g peeled cassava (yuca), cut into 5 cm pieces; remove a thick fibrous core if present; 450 g potato, peeled and cut into 4 cm chunks; 2 ears fresh corn (about 500 g total), husked and cut crosswise into 3 pieces each; 12 g fresh cilantro, finely chopped; 150 g green onion (scallion), finely chopped; 300 g ripe tomatoes, finely chopped; 10 g garlic (about 2 cloves), crushed; 20 ml neutral oil; 2 g ground cumin; 13 g fine salt, divided; 250 g dry white rice, rinsed; Water, according to the rice package directions

Wide table view of Magdalena country-hen sancocho with vegetables and a separate bowl of rice.

Yield 5 generous bowls, with white rice

Active preparation about 40 minutes

Passive preparation none

Cooking about 3 hours 20 minutes; a mature hen may take longer

Total time about 4 hours, plus any extra time needed to tenderize the hen

Ingredients ↓

Overview

Sancocho de Gallina Criolla from San Sebastián de Buenavista (Magdalena, Colombia)

This country-hen sancocho is associated with San Sebastián de Buenavista in Magdalena, on Colombia's Caribbean coast. Its defining combination is gallina criolla with yuca, plantain, potato, corn and hogao. The slow-cooked hen gives the broth its savoury depth, while the starchy vegetables make the meal substantial.

A mature country hen takes longer to soften than a young chicken. The timing therefore depends on the bird rather than a fixed clock. Check tenderness at the joints and use a clean food thermometer in the thickest pieces; both checks matter. The method here uses a lidded oven-safe pot in a conventional oven. It gives steady, enclosed heat but does not add the wood-smoke aroma of a wood-fired oven.

Hogao is a softly cooked mixture of tomato, green onion and garlic. In this version it is stirred into the broth so its sweetness and savoury flavour season the whole pot. Corn and green plantain go in before the cassava and potato, which cook in less time and are easier to overcook. Plain white rice is served alongside as a broader Magdalena-style accompaniment.

Ingredients

Hen and soup

1.8 kg whole country hen (gallina criolla), cut into 5 bone-in portions
3.2 L cold water
600 g green plantain (about 2 medium), peeled and cut into 5 cm pieces just before adding
500 g peeled cassava (yuca), cut into 5 cm pieces; remove a thick fibrous core if present
450 g potato, peeled and cut into 4 cm chunks
2 ears fresh corn (about 500 g total), husked and cut crosswise into 3 pieces each
12 g fresh cilantro, finely chopped

Hogao and seasoning

150 g green onion (scallion), finely chopped
300 g ripe tomatoes, finely chopped
10 g garlic (about 2 cloves), crushed
20 ml neutral oil
2 g ground cumin
13 g fine salt, divided

Rice accompaniment

250 g dry white rice, rinsed
Water, according to the rice package directions

Method

Cook the rice separately Rinse the rice until the water is mostly clear. Cook it in a small saucepan according to the package directions, then cover and keep warm for serving. If cooking it ahead, transfer it promptly to a shallow container and refrigerate; keep it separate from the raw hen.
Make the hogao Heat the oil in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add the green onion and garlic and cook for 4–5 minutes, stirring, until softened but not browned. Add the tomatoes, cumin and about one-third of the salt. Cook gently for 12–15 minutes, stirring now and then, until the tomatoes collapse into a thick, spoonable sauce. Set aside about 2 tablespoons if you would like a little extra at the table; stir the rest into the heavy oven-safe pot.
Start the hen in the oven Heat the oven to 160°C. Put the hen pieces and cold water into the pot with the hogao and another portion of the salt. Bring the liquid just to a simmer on the hob, skimming off any foam. Cover tightly and transfer the pot to the oven. Cook for about 2 hours before the first tenderness check; a mature hen may need 2–2½ hours or longer. The joints should loosen and the meat should begin to yield. Check the thickest pieces with a clean thermometer: they must reach at least 74°C. Wash hands, utensils and surfaces after handling raw poultry.
Add the corn and plantain When the hen is nearly tender, add the corn and green plantain. Cover the pot and return it to the oven for about 20 minutes. The plantain should begin to soften while still holding its shape, and the corn should be hot through.
Add the cassava and potato Stir in the cassava and potato and return the covered pot to the oven for 25–35 minutes. Check with the tip of a knife: it should pass easily into the roots, but their edges should not be falling apart. If the hen became tender before the vegetables, keep the lid on and leave it in the broth while they finish. Taste the broth and add the remaining salt gradually.
Finish and serve Stir the chopped cilantro into the pot for the final 5 minutes. Check that the broth is piping hot and recheck a thick hen piece if it has been removed. Serve a portion of hen, corn and vegetables in each bowl with plenty of broth. Bring the white rice to the table separately so each person can add it as desired; offer any reserved hogao on the side.

Practical guidance

Practical

Full recipe heading

Caribbean country-hen soup with cassava, green plantain, potato, corn and hogao

Excerpt

This Magdalena sancocho brings country hen, yuca, plantain, potato and corn together in a tomato-and-scallion broth enriched with hogao. A heavy covered pot in a conventional oven provides steady enclosed heat for the home version; serve the hen and vegetables with the broth and plain white rice alongside.

Practical guidance

Ask the butcher for a mature stewing hen cut into 5 similar bone-in portions. A young broiler chicken cooks faster but will not have the same firm texture or depth of flavour. If gallina criolla is unavailable, use the oldest stewing hen you can find and allow extra time. Do not shorten the cook simply because the outside of the meat looks done: use the thermometer and tenderness checks. The lidded pot should be large enough to hold the hen and vegetables without crowding, while still keeping most of the meat under the broth. If the liquid reduces too much during the long oven cook, add boiling water. Keep the oven at 160°C and check that the pot returns to a gentle simmer after each addition. A conventional oven gives the covered soup even heat, but the result will not taste smoky like a wood-fired preparation. Cut cassava and potato into pieces of similar size so they soften together. Cassava sometimes has a thick, woody central fibre; remove it if needed. Keep the green plantain pieces fairly large, since they need time in the broth but should remain intact. If a vegetable softens ahead of the others, lift it out with a slotted spoon and return it just before serving. Cool leftover soup and rice separately in shallow containers and refrigerate within 2 hours. Store at or below 4°C and use within 3–4 days. Reheat the soup and hen to 74°C. Nutrition is approximate: edible yield, skin and fat vary between mature hens, and each serving may contain a different amount of broth.

Allergens and food safety

Allergens: No major regulated allergen is inherent in the listed ingredients. Check packaged rice and seasoning for allergen and cross-contact statements. Food safety: Keep raw hen separate from cooked rice and ready-to-eat foods. Wash hands, tools and surfaces after handling it. Use a clean food thermometer to confirm the thickest hen pieces reach 74°C; tenderness and cooking time alone do not establish safety. Cool soup and rice separately in shallow containers and refrigerate within 2 hours at or below 4°C. Use within 3–4 days and reheat poultry and soup to 74°C.

Final notes

At the table: Serve the hot hen and vegetables with broth, with white rice alongside and a little hogao available for spooning over the meat. Vegetable texture: Add cassava and potato after the corn and plantain so the roots turn tender without breaking down in the broth.

Nutrition per serving

Serving size: one-fifth of the soup and one-fifth of the cooked rice
Energy: about 850 kcal
Carbohydrate: about 155 g
Protein: about 45 g
Fat: about 22 g
Fibre: about 12 g
Sodium: about 1,300 mg

Sancocho de Gallina Criolla from San Sebastián de Buenavista (Magdalena, Colombia)

Ingredients

Hen and soup

Hogao and seasoning

Rice accompaniment

Method

Practical

Full recipe heading

Excerpt

Practical guidance

Allergens and food safety

Final notes

Nutrition per serving

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