Hallacas

★★★★4.9· 543 ratings

·Serves 6

About this Dish

Venezuela's Christmas dish — a complex parcel of corn dough filled with a stew of beef, pork and chicken with olives, capers and raisins, wrapped in plantain leaves and boiled. Making hallacas is a multi-day family project undertaken every December. The recipe is passed down through generations and each family considers their version definitive.

IngredientsServes 6

🌽Pre-cooked white cornmeal (masarepa), 500g

🥩Beef chuck, 300g cut into small chunks

🐷Pork shoulder, 300g cut into small chunks

🍗Chicken thighs, 300g boneless and diced

🫒Green olives, 100g pitted and halved

🍇Raisins, 80g

🫙Capers, 3 tablespoons

🧅White onion, 2 large finely chopped

🫑Red bell pepper, 2 roasted and sliced

🌿Banana or plantain leaves, 8-10 large pieces cleaned and softened over flame

Method

Make the guiso (stew filling) a day ahead: sauté onion, garlic, bell pepper and a generous amount of cumin and annatto-infused oil in a large pot until softened. Add the beef, pork and chicken and brown well, then add a splash of red wine, a cup of chicken stock, the olives, capers and raisins. Simmer on low for 45 minutes until the meat is tender and the sauce is thick and fragrant. Season with salt and let it cool completely overnight in the fridge so the flavours deepen.

Prepare the masa dough by mixing the masarepa with warm chicken stock, a few tablespoons of annatto oil (achiote seeds heated in vegetable oil until deep orange), and a good pinch of salt. Knead until it forms a smooth, soft dough that doesn't crack at the edges — it should feel like soft Play-Doh. The annatto gives it that signature golden-yellow colour.

Soften your plantain leaves by passing them briefly over a gas flame or dipping in boiling water until they turn a darker, more pliable green. Wipe them clean with a damp cloth, then cut into roughly 30cm squares. Brush each square lightly with annatto oil.

To assemble each hallaca, place a ball of masa (about the size of a golf ball) in the centre of a leaf square and press it out into a thin, even oval about 5mm thick. Spoon 2-3 tablespoons of the cooled guiso into the centre, then add an olive half, a few capers and a couple of raisins on top for extra pockets of flavour.

Fold the hallaca by lifting the long sides of the leaf together so the masa wraps around the filling and seals into a parcel — the leaf will guide the shape. Fold the ends of the leaf underneath, then wrap the whole parcel in a second leaf going the opposite direction. Tie securely with kitchen twine in a cross pattern, as if wrapping a small gift. Don't rush this step — a well-tied hallaca holds its shape beautifully.

Bring a very large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Lower the hallacas in gently and cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour, turning them halfway through. Remove with tongs, rest for 10 minutes, then untie and unwrap the leaves at the table — the moment of opening is part of the ritual. Serve immediately with a cold beer and enjoy with family.

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