34. Bolivia

Pukacapas (Spicy Cheese Empanadas)

Country: Bolivia 
Course: Appetizer 
Makes: 8 to 12 servings 

 

For the dough:

• 3 cups flour
• 2 tsp Baking powder
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/3 cup butter
• 2 eggs
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 egg, beaten (for brushing on top)

For the filling:

• 1 large onion, minced
• 1 red jalapeno, minced
• 1 green jalapeno, minced
• 1 tomato, minced
• 1 green onion
• 2 tbsp parsley, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup green olives, chopped
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 3 cups queso fresco, crumbled

Directions:

1. Heat the oil in a medium saucepan and put everything except for the cheese into the hot oil. Saute for about 10 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft. Then take the pot off the heat and stir in the cheese.
2. While the filling is cooking, make the dough. Blend all the dry ingredients with the butter, then add the milk and eggs. Blend until you get a smooth dough.
3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll the dough until it is pretty thin and cut into circular shapes.
4. To assemble, drop the filling into the middle of one of the dough rounds, leaving enough space to join the two pieces of dough. Cover the filling with another piece of dough, then moisten the edges a little with water and pinch together.
5. Cut small slits in the top of each pastry to vent.
6. Beat the egg and use it to brush the tops of the pukacapas. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until golden.

Fricasé
(Spicy pork meat stew)

(Serves 8)

Ingredients

2 spoonfuls oil
2.2 pounds pork meat, preferable ribs, cut into 16 pieces
1 cup white onion, cut into thin strips
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon crumbled oregano
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup ground cayenne pepper (1/2 kilo in cases)
1 spoonful salt
1/2 cup green onion, cut into thin strips
8 cups boiling water
1/2 cup plain bread crumbs, to thicken

To Serve

4 cups cooked white corn
8 peeled potatoes (cooked separately)

Preparation

1. In a large pot heat the two spoonfuls of oil over medium heat. Add the pork and fry until golden.
2. Add onion, cumin, pepper, oregano, garlic, cayenne pepper, salt and green onion.
3. Stir and add the eight cups of boiling water.
4. Let cook until the meat comes off a little of the bones, at least two hours. Try to maintain the initial amount of broth, adding a little of water if necessary.
5. Shortly before serving, add bread crumbs to thicken. Serve in a deep plate with sufficient broth. Garnish with one cooked potato and cooked white corn.

 RECIPES RICE

ARROZ CON QUESO - RICE WITH CHEESE (BOLIVIA)

INGREDIENTSNutrition

• 2cups short-grain rice(I used sushi rice, which seems to be the only short grain rice going around here)
• 1 1⁄2cups crumbled queso fresco (kolla cheese is traditional, but most Bolivian resources seem to agree that queso fresco is a good s)
• 1teaspoon garlic, minced
• 1tablespoon red onion, minced
• 1cup milk
• 6cups water
• salt

• DIRECTIONS

  1. Boil the water with the salt, then add the rice and keep boiling, uncovered, until almost all of the water has been absorbed or cooked off. The rice should still be pretty wet, but without pools of water and not fluffy.
  2. Meanwhile, saute the garlic and onions in a small amount of oil for four or five minutes. Take care not to let them brown.
  3. When the rice is nearly ready, bring the milk to a boil (warning, milk scalds easily so don't take your eyes off of it).
  4. Add the milk, cheese and onion/garlic mixture to the rice. Cook over low heat, stirring, until all the cheese has melted.

  1. Chola Sandwich
  2. Recipe 
     Ingredients
     - 1 pork shank (small)
     - 2 lemons
     - 6 cloves of garlic
     - 4 red chili pepper pods (ají coloradoin Bolivia)
     - 1 small packet of baking soda
     - 3 onions
     - 15 sandwich buns
     - pickled onions and carrots
     - black pepper
     - cumin
     - tomato
     Preparation
     - Marinate the pork shank overnight in salt water and rinse the next day.
     - Mix the seeded chili peppers with garlic, onion, black pepper and cumin, then use it to season the pork.
     - Rub lemon and soda over the pork so it will become crisp.
     - Place seasoned pork in the sun for about 10 minutes.
     - Bake in moderate oven for 1 hour.
     - Cut pork into fine pieces as soon as it's out of the oven.
     - Make a salad of the tomatoes and onions.  
     - Cut the buns in half, fill with pork, salad, pickled vegetables and a little hot sauce (llajwa - Bolivian hot sauce is best). 

  1. Buñuelos (Deep Fried Sweetbread)

  2. 
     Ingredients:
     
     2 teaspoons fresh yeast
     1 cup warm water
     1 tablespoon sugar
     1/2 teaspoon salt
     1/2 teaspoon anise
     2 eggs
     2 cups flour
     3 cups butter
     Molasses to taste
     1/2 cup sunflower oil to moisten hands
     
     Preparation:
     
     

     In a bowl, dissolve the sugar in water, add the fresh yeast, let it stand for about 7 minutes, then add the salt, anise, eggs and flour, mixing it slowly with your hand until you obtain a watery dough. Let the dough stand and rise twice before you start frying in hot butter or oil.
     
     To fry, first spread oil over your hands, take a handful of dough with the fingertips and stretch it into a 4-inch round; rotating the dough occasionally to form a circle. When about to fry, poke a hole in the middle, and put in the frying pan with a stick or the back of a wooden spoon through the hole. Let it acquire a golden brown color on both sides before retiring and leave in a colander to drain away excess oil; then put all in a bowl to serve.
     
     Serve with a jug of hot sugar cane syrup, molasses or honey for each person to add the desired amount on the buñuelo. Note: Some Bolivians prefer to eat their buñuelos covered in sifted powdered sugar.

  3. Mocochinchi

     INGREDIENTS

     • 1/2 pound Dehydrated Whole Peaches (or sundried peach slices
     • 1/4 pound Dried Black Raisins
     • 2 sticks Cinnamon stick
     • 3 cups Water
     • 1 whole Orange ; juice
     • 1 whole Lemon ; zest
     • to taste Brown sugar

     
     

  4. INSTRUCTIONS

     Boil 3 cups of water. Remove from heat, and soak peaches 1 hour.

     Return peaches/water to heat. Add sugar, cinnamon, orange juice, and lemon zest.

     Cook until peaches are soft and water has taken on a dark rusty color. Add raisins and cook another ½ hour. If the water ever steams off too low, add some more. You don’t want this to thicken, it should stay nice and liquid.

     Remove from heat and pop it in the fridge.

     While you can use regular sugar instead, I recommend caramelizing brown sugar and adding that to taste for sweetness.

     NOTES

     Mocochinchi is best served super sweet and ice cold. Serve it with a few of the peaches in the glass. Once you finish the mocochinchi, you snack on the tasty re-hydrated peaches.
  5. (Good Eats: Shrimp Cocktail)