Recipe: Peruvian style hen soup

“How do I know it's a hen?”, I asked. Because of the eggs, replied my trusted chicken lady at the Magdalena Market. Sure enough, the hen had small orange balls that looked like eggs. And that's how I knew it was a hen. Now that the winter has come to Lima and our sky looks as grey as a donkey’s belly - which is how like to call a gray sky - we are hungry for things to keep us warm. So today we are going to make Peruvian style hen soup. Español aquí.

This week promises to be excellent and even more so because it comes with Father's Day. I am blessed to have a very special father that I look up to so we have a lot to celebrate too. I won’t bore you with my sappy stories, but I will smile remembering them. I hope you can have a warm time with your loved ones and I send you much love.


Ingredients
1 kilo of hen, in pieces
1 peeled piece ginger
4-6 cups water
4-6 peeled yellow potatoes
¼ kilo thick noodles
4 hard boiled eggs
¼ cup chopped scallion (spring onion)
Salt to taste

Preparation
Cook the chicken for an hour in water and salt.

Add the ginger and celery.

Cook for ½ hour.

Add the potatoes and the noodles.

Cook for 15 minutes or until the noodle is ready. Beware of the potatoes overcooking.

Add the scallion to the pot before serving.

Serve with a cooked egg and a piece of hen per dish.

Makes 4 servings.