Ecuadorian soup with stuffed plantain dumplings (Caldo de bolas de verde)

1. Bring the beef shin to the boil in the water with the halved onion, garlic and coriander stems, skim and simmer for 1½ hours; season with salt and pepper.

2. Make the filling: hard-boil and finely chop the eggs; dry-roast the peanuts and grind finely. Fry the minced beef in the oil with the achiote paste and cumin, stir in half the peanuts and the egg, and salt.

3. Peel the green plantains, cook three quarters of them in a little of the broth for 10 minutes and finely grate the remaining raw quarter; mash the cooked plantain and knead with the grated plantain, achiote, oil, salt and remaining peanuts into a firm, mouldable dough.

4. With wet hands, shape 12 balls, press a hollow into each, add a spoonful of filling and close carefully with the dough.

5. Add the cassava in large chunks and the corn cut into rounds to the soup, cook for 15 minutes, then gently lower in the plantain dumplings and cook for another 15 minutes until heated through and slightly firmed.

6. Serve two dumplings per bowl with pieces of meat, cassava and corn, pour over the broth and sprinkle with fresh coriander.

Tip: Shaping the dumplings takes patience – if they crack, wet your hands and add a spoonful of broth to the dough.