Sancocho de Gallina de Ginebra
Ginebra's sancocho is one of the dishes most closely associated with the town in central Valle del Cauca. Ginebra's version brings together hen and beef tail, green plantain, yuca, cilantro cimarrón and azafrán-root seasoning. A distinctive finishing touch is to lift the tender hen pieces from the soup and brown them over embers or on a grill.
This home-scale version keeps that combination and serving rhythm while using practical metric quantities. Mature hen gives the broth depth and takes longer to soften than a young broiler. Begin checking tenderness and temperature after the first 90 minutes, but let the bird's texture guide the simmer. The meat is ready for service only after it reaches 74°C in its thickest part.
The plantain is broken by hand as it goes into the pot, to give the broth its characteristic texture. This creates irregular pieces that release some starch into the broth while still holding their shape. Add the yuca later so it softens without dissolving, and stir with a wooden spoon to protect the chunks.
The local name guiso de raíces de azafrán does not point to one standardized blend. Use a Colombian culinary root seasoning sold for this purpose; do not replace it with saffron threads. If you cannot find it, omit it and let the broth, cimarrón cilantro and late picadillo carry the flavor.
