Saltenas Bolivianas

Ingredients

• For the jigote filling: 600g beef chuck, finely diced
• 600ml beef stock
• 2 large white onions
• 3 tbsp aji amarillo paste
• 1 tbsp aji panca paste
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tbsp caster sugar
• 12g powdered gelatin
• 300g waxy potatoes
• 150g frozen peas
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• 3 eggs, hard-boiled
• 18 green olives, halved and stoned
• 50g raisins
• 1 small bunch parsley
• Sea salt and black pepper
• For the dough: 600g plain flour
• 150g lard or butter
• 2 tbsp achiote (annatto) seeds
• 2 tbsp caster sugar
• 2 tsp fine sea salt
• 2 eggs
• 200ml warm water
• 1 egg yolk beaten with 1 tbsp milk, to glaze

Before you cook

• Dice the beef as small as a pea, which is far better done with a knife than a processor
• Peel and finely dice both onions
• Peel the potatoes and cut them into 5mm dice
• Chop the hard-boiled eggs and the parsley
• Sprinkle the gelatin over 100ml of cold water and leave it to swell

Steps

1. Heat the vegetable oil in a wide pan over medium heat and fry the onion with a pinch of salt for 12 minutes, until soft and translucent.
2. Stir in the aji amarillo, aji panca, cumin, oregano and sugar and cook for 4 minutes until the fat runs red.
3. Add the diced beef and stir it for 5 minutes, just until it loses its raw colour.
4. Pour in the stock and simmer gently for 25 minutes, until the beef is tender.
5. Add the diced potato and cook for a further 8 minutes, until it is just done but still holding its shape.
6. Stir in the peas and cook for 2 minutes more.
7. Take the pan off the heat and season the filling aggressively with salt and pepper, since it will be eaten inside sweet pastry.
8. Stir the swollen gelatin into the hot filling until it dissolves completely.
9. Fold in the chopped egg, olives, raisins and parsley.
10. Pour the filling into a shallow tray, cool it to room temperature, then refrigerate it overnight until it is set firm like a savoury jelly.
11. Warm the lard with the achiote seeds in a small pan over low heat for 5 minutes, until the fat glows orange, then strain out the seeds and let the fat cool until it is soft but not liquid.
12. Rub the achiote fat into the flour, sugar and salt with your fingertips until it looks like coarse breadcrumbs.
13. Beat the eggs into the warm water and pour it into the flour.
14. Knead the dough on the worktop for 8 minutes, until it is smooth and supple.
15. Wrap the dough and rest it at room temperature for 30 minutes.
16. Heat the oven to 220C fan and line two baking trays.
17. Divide the dough into 18 pieces and roll each into a 14cm circle about 3mm thick.
18. Spoon a heaped tablespoon of the cold set filling onto one half of a circle, leaving a clear 2cm border.
19. Brush the border with water, fold the pastry over and press the edges firmly together to expel any air.
20. Crimp the sealed edge by folding a small corner of pastry over itself and repeating along the seam, making the rope-like repulgue.
21. Stand the saltena upright on the tray with the crimp along the top like a spine.
22. Repeat with the rest, then brush each one with the egg yolk glaze.
23. Bake for 18 to 20 minutes, until the pastry is deep golden and firm.
24. Rest them for 5 minutes, then eat them standing up and biting a corner off first, because the inside is now hot liquid broth.