Ajiaco: Colombian Potato Soup with Chicken and Corn

Ingredients:

• 4 chicken legs (about 1.5 kg total)
• 1 cup diced onion (about 1 medium onion)
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 lava leaf
• 1 bunch fresh cilantro, stems coarsely chopped, 1 cup leaves set aside
• 1 bunch green onions, coarsely chop the white parts separately from the green parts
• 1-2 teaspoons habanero hot sauce
• 3 tomatoes, cored, seeded and chopped (about 1 1/4 cups)
• 450g mixed yellow and purple (or red) potatoes, quartered and cut into 2cm pieces.
• 1 ear of corn, cut into 1cm thick circles.
• 1 - 2 avocados, thinly sliced, for serving
• 0.5 cup sour cream or crème fraîche, for serving
• 1/4 cup capers, for serving

Preparation:

1. In a 5-quart saucepan, combine the chicken, 1.5 teaspoons of salt, and 8 cups of water to cover. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and skim off any foam from the surface. Add the onion, garlic, bay leaf, cilantro stems, and white parts of the green onions. Simmer, partially covered, until the chicken is tender and easily pierced with a knife, 35 to 40 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a bowl to cool, about 10 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, prepare the ahi sauce:

   
   In a food processor, combine the green onions, hot sauce, tomatoes, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 cup cilantro leaves until the mixture forms a coarse sauce. Set aside. Alternatively, you can chop all the ingredients by hand and mix them together.
   
3. Add the potatoes to the soup along with 1 1/4 teaspoons of salt. Cover, bring back to a boil, and simmer for another 10 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, remove the chicken meat from the bones and shred it into pieces using your hands or two forks (discard the bones and skin). Set aside.
5. Add the corn to the soup and cook until the corn and potatoes are tender when pierced with a knife, 3-4 minutes. Return the chicken to the soup and return to a simmer. Season with salt to taste, if needed.
6. Ladle the soup into 6 bowls and serve with sliced ​​avocado, sour cream, capers, ahi sauce, and the remaining cilantro leaves.