[ESP/ENGL] Bollos Navideños: Un regalo de amor de Venezuela / Christmas Buns: A Gift of Love from Venezuela

These leaves must be passed through direct fire, in order to make them more flexible so that they do not break when bent. After this procedure is done, they are cut into an approximate size of 20 cm x 20 cm, but there are also larger and smaller pieces of leaves that will also be used. Once cut, they are cleaned with a cloth soaked in water with white vinegar, and then proceed to dry them with another cloth. In my case I carry out this simple washing, because I plant and harvest my leaves myself and I know that I do not use pesticides and they are not exposed to any contamination, but if they are bought from outside, a more thorough washing and disinfection is required.

Prior to the process of harvesting, roasting, cutting and cleaning the leaves, it is necessary to advance the stew that is the main star of the dish, as it adds flavor and substance to the Christmas buns. For this, each of the meats are cooked separately, as they have different cooking times and thus can also fully express their flavor; flavors that will then be amalgamated in a delicious stew and a wonderful dough. Each meat will be cooked for the appropriate time until tender, in sufficient water, with the seasonings that combine the most. In my case I used onion, chives, garlic, chili, leek, paprika, cumin, oregano and salt. To the chicken, of which I did not take photos, I also added some sprigs of coriander from Spain. I would have loved to have wild coriander to use with beef, but my plants had dried up.

Once the meats are cool, they proceed to extract them and strain the broths. These broths can be mixed and reserved, as they will be used to make the dough and hydrate the stew. The seasonings that remain in the strainer are blended and added to this stock mixture. Later, the meats are finely cut, in the case of chicken, it is shredded. It is necessary to remove any ribs, skin or unpleasant tissue to taste. Likewise, more dressings are carefully cut (onion, leek, paprika, chili, garlic, chives), and also olives and capers; I particularly love olives with seeds, the ones that are stuffed seem absolutely tasteless, therefore, I buy them with seeds, I put them to soak in water and rinse at least twice, to remove the salt and vinegar ; and I proceed to chop them removing the center. Half of the olives will go to make the sauce of the stew and the other part is incorporated directly into the dough. I put the capers to soak in water as well, rinsing them at least three times and peck them slightly, they will go entirely to the stir-fry of the stew. The raisins are put to soak in liquor, so that they absorb the delicious flavor of a good cocuy, of a rum, wine or light cane. All this is being reserved for the peak moment in which we mix everything to make our stew.

Time to make the delicious stew. For this we need a large cauldron or pot, which allows to fry and mix all the ingredients. First, I put a good amount of well colored oil in the cauldron, about 100 ml, over high heat. First I add the garlic, then the onion, the paprika, the chili, the chives, the capers and the olives; then the pork, waiting for it to brown a little, since this allows making small pork rinds that are delicious when biting into the buns. Later the other meats are added. I usually incorporate a teaspoon of white vinegar, which allows the flavors to express themselves even more. I also add the liquor that is left after draining the raisins. Once everything is well fried, I add three-quarters of a liter of the broth mixture, correct the salt, stir well, under the heat and cover the pot, thus allowing the flavors to integrate. I cook for about 30 minutes, then turn off the heat and let it sit until it reaches room temperature.

While the stew is cooling, I color the cornmeal. As you can see, I used two kilos, one of the traditional flour and another that has rice flour among its components. I did it this way because they were the ones that were available, but I highly recommend using only the traditional one, since the smell and taste varies slightly when using the ones that come with additives. I empty the two packages into a large bowl, which allows me to handle the dough well (well, my husband, since he was the one who knead). Then, while the flour is still dry, I add the colored oil little by little (between 150 and 200 ml), and integrate it into all the flour, for which I can first serve myself with a teaspoon, and then by hand. . In the end, all the flour will have a chick yellow color. Once colored, I proceed to gradually add the flour to the broth mixture, (they are approximately 3 liters), while kneading, until it reaches the right consistency to make arepas. You should use more water (about a liter and a half more) at room temperature.

Once the flour has been kneaded with the broths, the stew, the spicy bottle and the already drained raisins are added, little by little, following the kneading process. The stew will change the consistency to the dough, making it smoother. It is necessary that once everything is integrated, the salt is rectified. If you require more salt, then this will be dissolved in a little water and gradually added to the mixture, in order to distribute it evenly. If the mixture is too smooth, which makes it difficult to handle, you can sprinkle it with a little more flour. This mixture is allowed to stand for 20 minutes.

While the mixture is resting, take a portion between 80 and 120 grams in weight and place it in the center of one of the already chopped mole leaves. We proceed to make the corresponding folds, a kind of perfect, delicious and loving origami, which will wrap a piece of Venezuela inside. The leaves may break when making a fold, so it is necessary to reinforce them with another. Once this packet is assembled, it is tied with a piece of string or wick. The size of the rope is approximately one meter. Now, in our case, we did what is called a persogo. A persogo is a bundle of two buns tied together, but this is not mandatory, you can tie each bun individually.

The buns or persogos (as the case may be), are placed in a large pot containing boiling salty water. They are placed inside, in such a way that they are completely covered by the water. Place the lid on the pot and cook for 30 minutes over high heat. After this time, the position of the buns is reversed, so that they cook evenly, and leave for 30 more minutes. Once the cooking time is over, they are removed from the pot and left to drain and cool. These buns can be kept frozen for up to 6 months, and without freezing for a week. If they are cold, the way to serve them is to heat them in boiling salty water for about 10-15 minutes, drain them, open them and place them on the plate. They can be a main dish, but also a side. I recommend eating them with added hot sauce and chunks of white cheese. It is an exceptionally delicious dish. Enjoy your meal!

• Estas fotos son de mi autoría y fueron tomada con un teléfono Xiomi REDMI 8 A / These photos are my own and were taken with a Xiomi REDMI 8 A phone .