Recipe: Chicken and mussel aguadito with cauliflower rice

Aguadito is a typical Peruvian soup. It means something like “soggy”, not a very appealing name, but it describes the dish perfectly: in essence it’s a watered-down version of arroz con pollo.

I’m convinced that one of the reasons there aren’t too many obese people in Perú is that we tend to eat more home-cooked meals. Parties are no exceptions, and it’s not uncommon that the brave people who stay until the next morning are rewarded with a bowl of aguadito. For the record, I’m lame and tend to bail fairly early from parties, so I’ve never enjoyed a bowl of “morning after” aguadito.

Aguadito is often made with chicken (pollo) or duck (pato). Other popular version has mussels (choros). My favourite is actually a combination of chicken and mussels because that’s the way my granny used to make it when I was a kid. I’ve been avoiding any attempt to recreate it because I was afraid to fail, but I decided it was time to give it a crack. Even after substituting half of the ingredients (rice, yellow potatoes, corn, and peas) I reckon I nailed it.

Chicken and mussel aguadito with cauliflower rice

This is a lower carb version of the traditional Peruvian soup which is normally made with rice.

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Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 30 minutes mins

Course Main Course, Soup

Cuisine Peruvian

Ingredients

  

• 1 red onion
• 4 garlic cloves
• 1/2 tsp aji amarillo powder or any other chilli
• 2 tomatoes
• 1 bunch coriander
• 1 kg chicken wings (or drumsticks/thighs)
• 600 g frozen mussels
• 2 tbsp fat of choice
• 2 litres chicken stock
• 1 medium head of cauliflower
• 1 small chunk of pumpkin (about 1 cup)
• 1 small swede or parsnip
• 1 carrot
• 1 handful green beans (about 150 g)
• 1 capsicum
• 300 g cassava
• salt and pepper

Instructions

 

• Chop onion and garlic. Peel, seed and chop tomatoes. Chop coriander and process with a blender/food processor/immersion blender with enough water to make a runny paste (2 – 4 tablespoons).
• Dry chicken wings with a paper towel and season with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon of fat in a big pot (if your pot isn't big enough, use 2) and brown the wings. Reserve.
• Rinse mussels.
• Dial down the heat, add another tablespoon of fat and cook onion, garlic, chilli, tomatoes and coriander for 15 – 20 minutes.
• Add wings, mussels and stock. Bring to a boil and cook at medium heat until the chicken is fully cooked (about 20 minutes).
• In the meantime, boil cassava until soft (about 20 minutes), drain and reserve.
• Chop the cauliflower florets with a knife. You want small pieces but not as small as the ones you get with a food processor.
• Dice pumpkin, parsnip and carrot. Chop green beans in small chunks (about 1 cm long). Slice capsicum.
• Add cauliflower, pumpkin, swedes or parsnips, carrots, green beans and capsicum to the pot. Season with salt and pepper, stir and let cook for 15 – 20 minutes.
• Add the cassava and serve.

Keyword cauliflower rice, chicken, chicken wings, coriander, mussels, Peruvian cuisine, Peruvian food