Hallacas (Venezuelan-Style)

1. 1

   Boil the chicken breast with salt and black pepper, shred and set aside. Save the stock for the dough.

2. 2

   Heat the butter and the oil, add onions, tomatoes, peppers, celery, leeks, garlic; in that particular order and with and interval of 5 minutes between each. This is the best sofrito ever!

3. 3

   Add the shredded chicken to the sofrito, olives, capers, raisnins, parsley and coriander. Cook for 10 minutes and set aside to cool.

4. 4

   In a sauce-pot melt the butter and fry the annatto/achiote for 10 minutes, let it cool for 30 minutes. Sift through a colander and keep the now colored butter aside.

5. 5

   In a bowl add the corn-flour, chicken stock and anato-butter mix well until you have an homogenous dough. Make 14 equal balls of dough.

6. 6

   Place on a board the banana leaves, place a ball of dough and pread it thinly with your fingers.

7. 7

   Place two tablespoons of the filling on the dough and garnish with one prune.

8. 8

   Fold together the corners of the banana leaves into a square, tighten it with cooking-thread.

9. 9

   Put the Hallaca into boiling water and let it cook for at least 45 minutes. Remove from the water and drain. Place vertically in a colander so any residual water is drained. Serve warm.

* Per serving · 4 servings · Values may vary.