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Cazuela de ave
Why this dish? Cazuela is the comforting lunch of Chilean families, and Bachelet's profile explicitly cites it among her favorite dishes. A doctor attentive to balanced nutrition, she finds in this clear poultry and vegetable broth the healthy, nourishing dish of the Chilean home.
A large bowl of fragrant broth featuring a piece of chicken on the bone, a wedge of squash, an ear of corn, a whole potato, and rice. Each guest receives their complete portion: it's a meal in a deep plate.
Cazuela is my mother's table and that of all mothers in Chile. You let the hen simmer until the broth says it all — no need to weigh it down. Everyone must get their piece of squash, their ear of corn, their potato: a balanced, complete bowl that warms the body and soul on a gray Santiago day. As a doctor, I tell you: this is an honest dish, nothing superfluous.
- •Free-range hen on the bone — a nice piece per person (broth base)
- •Squash (zapallo) — a large wedge (sweetness and body)
- •Corn (ear) — one section per person (vegetable)
- •Potato — one whole per person (starch)
- •Rice or cracked wheat — a handful (binder)
- •Fresh coriander, oregano — to flavor (herbs)
Cazuela de ave
A large bowl of fragrant broth featuring a piece of chicken on the bone, a wedge of squash, an ear of corn, a whole potato, and rice. Each guest receives their complete portion: it's a meal in a deep plate.
Why this dish? Cazuela is the comforting lunch of Chilean families, and Bachelet's profile explicitly cites it among her favorite dishes. A doctor attentive to balanced nutrition, she finds in this clear poultry and vegetable broth the healthy, nourishing dish of the Chilean home.
Cazuela is my mother's table and that of all mothers in Chile. You let the hen simmer until the broth says it all — no need to weigh it down. Everyone must get their piece of squash, their ear of corn, their potato: a balanced, complete bowl that warms the body and soul on a gray Santiago day. As a doctor, I tell you: this is an honest dish, nothing superfluous.
Ingredients (period version)
- Free-range hen on the bone — a nice piece per person (broth base)
- Squash (zapallo) — a large wedge (sweetness and body)
- Corn (ear) — one section per person (vegetable)
- Potato — one whole per person (starch)
- Rice or cracked wheat — a handful (binder)
- Fresh coriander, oregano — to flavor (herbs)
Ingredients
- Free-range chicken thighs — 4 (bone-in) (broth)
- Butternut squash — 4 wedges (sweetness)
- Corn — 2 ears cut into sections (vegetable)
- Medium potatoes — 4 (starch)
- Long-grain rice — 4 tbsp (binder)
- Carrot and onion — 1 each (aromatics)
- Coriander, oregano, salt — to taste (seasoning)
Method
- Cover the chicken with cold water with onion and carrot, skim, and simmer gently for 40 min.
- Add whole potatoes, squash, and corn sections; cook 20 min.
- Add rice and continue 15 min until everything is tender.
- Adjust salt, season with oregano.
- Serve in large deep plates: one piece of chicken, one of each vegetable, and broth, with fresh coriander at serving.
How it was made : Heir to Spanish pucheros crossed with indigenous vegetables (squash, corn, potato), cazuela is cooked in the eponymous clay pot. It is adapted by region and season: ave (poultry), vacuno (beef), or de mariscos on the coast.
The contemporary twist : A spoonful of fresh pebre and a squeeze of lemon at serving awaken the broth; some grate a little merkén.
Michelle Bachelet · Charactorium
