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1
Sear the Chicken
8 Mins
Medium-high heat, pot about 190°C (375°F)
Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken pieces in a single layer for 3-4 minutes a side until golden. Lift out and set aside — the chicken does not need to be cooked through yet.
Brown in one layer without crowding, so the chicken sears instead of steaming.
Done when: The pieces are golden on the outside and still pink inside.
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2
Build the Soup Base
7 Mins
Medium heat, pot about 175°C (350°F)
Lower the heat to medium. Add the onion to the same pot and cook for 3 minutes until soft, then add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Stir in the green pepper, tomato, carrot and celery and cook for 3 minutes until the vegetables start to soften.
Scrape the browned bits off the pot bottom as the onion cooks — that is where the broth flavour lives.
Done when: The onion is soft and golden and the vegetables are starting to give.
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3
Simmer the Broth
30 Mins
Gentle simmer, about 95°C (203°F)
Return the chicken to the pot and pour in the hot stock. Bring to a gentle simmer, skim any foam, then cover and cook for about 25-30 minutes until the chicken is tender and reaches at least 74°C (165°F) in the thickest piece. Taste and add the remaining salt and the black pepper.
Keep the simmer gentle — a hard boil makes the chicken tough and the broth cloudy.
Done when: The chicken is tender and the broth tastes rich and well seasoned.
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4
Mix the Bori Dough
10 Mins
Room temperature, hot broth from the pot
While the broth simmers, mix the cornmeal, grated mozzarella and oregano in the large bowl. Ladle about 150 ml of hot broth from the pot into the bowl a little at a time, stirring with a wooden spoon, until a soft, moist dough forms that holds its shape. Roll the dough with damp hands into small balls the size of large grapes — about 24 balls.
Add the broth slowly — too much makes sticky dough that falls apart, too little makes dry, crumbly balls.
Done when: The dough is soft and pliable, and the balls hold their shape without cracking.
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5
Cook the Dumplings
10 Mins
Gentle simmer, about 95°C (203°F)
Drop the balls gently into the simmering soup one by one, without stacking them. Cook for 8-10 minutes, without stirring hard, until the dumplings float to the surface and are puffed and tender all the way through.
Do not stir hard once the dumplings are in — a gentle nudge is enough, or they break apart.
Done when: The dumplings have risen to the surface, puffed up, and feel springy when pressed.
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6
Rest and Serve
3 Mins
Serve hot, about 65°C (149°F)
Take the pot off the heat and rest for 2-3 minutes. Ladle into deep bowls, making sure each bowl gets chicken, vegetables and dumplings, and scatter parsley over the top. Serve at once.
Serve straight away — the dumplings are at their best soft and hot from the broth.
Done when: Each bowl is steaming, with golden broth, tender chicken and round dumplings on top.
auto_awesome Finishing Touches & Plating
Serve steaming hot in deep bowls, with the dumplings floating on top — and boiled yuca on the side for the full Paraguayan table.
Paraguay
1h 5m
