Skip to main content

dinner : semi-sancoche

Fall has barely arrived in NYC and already winter has decided to poke an icy finger into the mix.  With abnormally chilly temps and blustery winds assaulting the city today, I decided to seek refuge in what is perhaps the most comforting of all the comfort foods I know, sancoche (pronounced sang koch)






However, I was rather reluctant to post this recipe, because if you were to ask 10 sancoche aficionados exactly how it's made, you'd get about 15 different answers.  It is essentially a preparation that varies widely, depending on what's at hand.  But in the interest of side-stepping anyone who might challenge the authenticity of my recipe (at least, the way I decided to prepare it today), I am going to describe this soup as semi-sancoche.

Most traditional versions include split-peas and quite a few starchy root vegetables (yams, eddoes and the like) which I have not included today, as I wanted to keep the meal somewhat light.  But even without all those yummy carbs, this made quite a hearty, satisfying dish.

So here is my list of ingredients.  I'm not a fan of measuring things, so these numbers are mostly approximations.  I just tossed everything in a big pot and simmered over medium-high heat, stirring every 15 minutes or so, until the chicken started falling off the bone. The one exception is the frozen corn, which I added in the last 10 minutes of the cooking process.

6 whole garlic cloves
1 medium onion, chopped
a few sprigs of thyme
8 leaves of shado beni (also called recao or culantro - you can use cilantro as a substitute)
8 stalks of celery, sliced
2 carrots, diced
1 chayote squash, diced
3 cups of diced calabaza (butternut squash works well too)
1 10-oz box of frozen corn kernels
6 whole skinless chicken thighs
2 cups of diced smoked ham
1 can lite coconut milk
1 32-oz carton of unsalted chicken stock
3-4 cups of water
salt, to taste
1 scotch bonnet pepper (optional)

Scotch bonnet instructions for normal people:
The scotch bonnet is usually placed into the soup whole, and you must be careful when stirring not to rupture it.  The pepper should be removed before serving.

Scotch bonnet instructions for pepper-heads:
Just mince it up and throw it in, seeds and all.

Enjoy, and stay warm!

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Some Like it Hot

It all started out as a rather ordinary Saturday afternoon, as my sweetie and I decided to take advantage of one of the long-standing seasonal events in our area, and made our way to the Chile Pepper Fiesta at the Brookyn Botanic Garden.  Knowing that the fiesta is usually very popular regardless of the weather, we decided to get an early start, in order to avoid the inevitable crowds.  This turned out to be a wise move, as we were greeted not only by an entrance free of lines snaking around the block, but also by the lovely Pepper Sisters (later christened Belle Pepper and Holly P e ñ o by the loopy MC at the main music stage).   As far as sweetie was concerned, our first order of business was to secure some Brooklyn Chili and a good spot on the lawn, both of which were accomplished with minimal fuss, since the gardens were still fairly empty at this point. We lay around on the lawn enjoying what turned out to be a wonderfully warm day, listening to all the great music and clea

The Phantom Debt

A couple of months ago, with the help and support of someone very dear to me, I became, for the first time in about 10 years, entirely debt-free. Of course, there should be high-fives and abundant celebratory toasts at this momentous occasion. But instead of being at peace, and revelling in my new found financial freedom, I seem to have become downright terrified of spending money. I can only compare this to the phenomenon that many amputees claim to have experienced, a sensation that the missing limb is actually still there! I still feel the weight of the appendage that I carried for over a decade. In fact, I've found myself checking my credit-card balance several times a week, each time believing that my burden would suddenly re-appear, and each time finding the balance at zero, and each time being strangely disappointed that there was no balance due. And I've taken to wringing my hands in anxiety over the 'extra' money in my bank account at the end of the month. Was

They say ignorance is bliss.

And it WAS, for a while, but sooner or later, reality was bound smack me in the head (or a more southerly body part, in this case). The results of my follow-up exam are abnormal. So, in three weeks, I must submit to a colposcopy. For those who want extensive, clinical details about this procedure, click here . For those who do not, let's just say the doctor's going to poke around in my hoo-hah for a few minutes to see what the hell is going on down there. It's NOT cancer, they told me, but they need to see if it's anything of concern. So I'm just gonna chill, and put this out of my mind until the time comes. Yeah, right!