Hallaca

Hallaca.png

Description

The hallaca 1​ is a traditional 2 ​3 tamale from Venezuela . 4 ​5 ​6 ​7 ​8 ​. 9 It consists of a corn flour dough seasoned with chicken or chicken broth and pigmented with onoto or achiote, filled with beef , pork and chicken or chicken stew . Some versions of the hallacas, traditionally in coastal areas, carry a whole prey. 10 For its part, on the Isla de Margaritathe stew is prepared with a fish called macabí or "malacho" . They also carry olives , raisins , capers , potatoes, carrots, paprika and onion , and are wrapped in a rectangular shape in banana leaves , to finally be tied with a wick or pita and boiled in water. 11 It is one of the national dishes of Venezuela, although it is typical of the Christmas season , it can be served at any time of the year. 12

The hallaca is also prepared with industrially processed cornmeal. Previously it was prepared from homemade dough, peeling the corn, that is, without shell or shell, and ground in a table mill. The type of dough can vary by region, being in more rural regions used the traditional way using crushed or ground corn. 10 The ingredients of the hallaca vary according to the regions of the country such as the Andes, Center, East and West.

Ingredients

For the stew

For the mass

To decorate

Steps

  1. Every hallaca begins with the preparation of the stew. To do this, cut the beef and pork into large portions.

  2. Chop the sweet pepper, the peppers, the sesame seeds and the onions from the stew into small cubes. Also take the opportunity to chop the herbs that you use optionally, such as parsley and coriander.

  3. Sauté the onion, capers, sweet pepper, paprika and sesame in a very large pot. Add the meats from the stew, as well as the papelón, the vinegar and the wine, and put everything to boil in water for at least 2 hours so that the flavors are well concentrated. Season to taste. When the cooking is finished, Mix the cornmeal with water and pour it into the preparation to thicken. Tip: if you prefer, you can also add garlic to the stew of the Christmas hallacas.

  4. While the stew is finished cooking, prepare the dough for the hallacas with the cornmeal. Mix the oil and the annatto seeds in a pot, heat, strain and reserve. Pour the water into a pot and add the corn flour, as well as the oil with the annatto. Knead very well until the dough is uniform, smooth and with a good color.

  5. Once you have the stew and dough ready, it's time to assemble the hallacas! Take a large banana leaf and spread a teaspoon of annatto oil on it. Now, spread a ball of the hallaca dough until it is thin. The thickness of the hallaca depends on the taste of each person, but we recommend that they are not so thick or the flavor of the filling will be lost. Tip: we advise you to wash the banana leaves before using them.

    6. Add the ingredients. First, add the stew and then decorate your hallaca with the olives, raisins, onion, paprika and the already boiled and shredded chicken.
  6. Close each hallaca by folding the banana leaf in half horizontally and then fold a second time with the remaining leaf. Take the vertical ends of the sheet and fold them over the hallaca. Wrap the hallaca with other smaller banana leaves to reinforce it.

  7. Tie the hallacas by making a grid-shaped knot as you can see in the photograph.

  8. In a large pot, cook the Venezuelan hallacas for approximately 40 minutes. Take them out, let them rest for about 10 minutes and enjoy. The hallacas are always better the next day! Tip: Store the remaining hallacas in the freezer and, before consuming them, thaw them in boiling water for about 20 minutes.