LaPaz, the federal capital of Bolivia, was a truly unique stop on my tour of South America. It was one of the only places where I felt intimidated – both by its size and its reputation. On the bus journey into the city, our guide informed us of some of the more unsavoury elements of the city (and the satellite city of El Alto). There were stories of criminals dressed as policemen stealing passports and unlicensed taxi drivers taking unsuspecting tourists up in to the hills before robbing them and leaving them stranded. In fact on my first day, whilst waiting for a walking tour group, I was approached by a shifty barefooted man outside of San Pedro prison. He spun a moderately convincing yarn about working for the company as part of his day release from prison. He was frank about the crimes that had seen him imprisoned there (drug trafficking and aggravated assault). I cautiously listened to his stories and absorbed some local knowledge. Whilst in a crowded spot I summoned up the courage to ask what he would want from me in return for his time, sheepishly he asked for a coffee, which I gladly bought him, before making a hasty retreat to a group of gathered tourists. I don’t think I was ever in any real danger, though it did remind me that travelling solo can be dangerous. I was thankful that I had my wits about me that day and that my money and passport were safely locked in the hotel safe.
The tour itself gave me an insight into this bizarre place. Whether it is the prison itself, which has only four guards to manage the 1500 inmates (who turn a blind eye to beatings, the consumption of smuggled alcohol and the production of methamphetamines), or the students dressed as zebras who help guide pedestrians at road crossings, the city had an unreal quality to it. The sprawling street markets were run predominantly by Cholitas, who sold all manner of goods to their regulars, including lama foetuses. Yes, lama foetuses. You see, when erecting a new building, it is customary in Bolivia to lay a lama foetus in the foundations by way of a sacrificial gift to Pachamama (mother earth). I have, by now, made LaPaz sound horrific. But what we must all remember is that travel is important as it helps us to broaden our minds and challenge our preconceived notions about society. For all of my bizarre experiences, the Bolivians would find some of our customs equally strange, and many of those I dealt with in restaurants, hotels and markets were extremely grateful that I was visiting them and were highly respectful. It takes all sorts!
The Empanada is the go-to snack of choice for the majority of the South American continent. So ubiquitous is this snack food, that I had already sampled them in Peru and Mexico before settling down one morning in La Paz to sample the Bolivian version, known as a Salteña. I had already sampled empanadas in Mexico and Peru, so I naively thought I knew what I was getting when purchasing this snack on my final full day in the city. But if LaPaz has proven to be an off-centre version of the other south American cities I had visited, so to was this food unique – a bizzaro empanada if you like. You see a Salteña is served with a spoon for good reason. When you bite into the flaky sweetened crust, the filling that awaits you is cubed beef in a viscous, soupy, gravy that dribbles down your chin. The stew-like filling is accented with briny olives, sweet raisins and hardboiled egg, and is best eaten out of the pastry shell with a teaspoon. For a novice Salteña sampler like me, the whole experience was (like me time in Bolivia) messy, surprising and rewarding in equal measure.
Incidentally, the gravy is kept semi-solid by the addition of gelatin, which sets the filling upon cooling and reverts to its liquid form when recooked. This is what makes it possible to construct them.
Ingredients
For the dough (masa):
400g plain flour
100g butter
100g lard
2tbsp sugar
100-120ml water with 1/2tsp salt dissolved
2 egg yolks (save the egg whites)
For the stew (jigote):
2 small onions, finely chopped
1tbsp mild chilli powder (yellow aji, in Bolivia)
400g beef, cut in small cubes
600ml good quality beef stock
4 sheets of leaf gelatin, soaked in cold water
6 boiled potatoes, diced
3tbsp parsely, finely chopped
2tbsp raisins
50g frozen peas
1tbsp black pepper
salt to taste
12 black olives, pitted and sliced
2 hard boiled eggs, cooled and chopped
Method
1. For the stew fry the onions in a little oil until softened, then add the chilli powder and diced beef.
2. Stir until lightly browned. Add the stock and bring to a simmer.
3. Add the soaked gelatin leaves and cook for 15 minutes.
4. Take the stew off the stove and add the parsley, peas, cooked potatoes, raisins, pepper and salt.
5. Put it into a container in the refrigerator overnight. This will allow the gelatin to firm up the stew enough to be able to spoon the stew onto the rounds of dough.
6. The next day make the pastry by placing the flour, salt and sugar into a bowl.
7. Add the butter and lard and rub in using your fingertips until it resembles fine breadcrumbs.
8. Stir in the egg yolks with a fork. Then slowly add the water a bit at a time, until you have a firm dough that leaves the sides of the bowl clean.
9. Knead the dough for a minute or two.
10. Preheat the oven to 210°C.
11. Next roll out the dough to a thickness of 5mm. Using a small saucer or side dish (about 10cm in diameter) cut out 8-10 discs of pastry.
12. Place one spoon of gelatinous stew onto each round of dough, add some olive and egg to each.
13. Brush the edges of each round with some of the remaining egg white. Fold over in half to form a semi circle and crimp to seal (like you would the edge of a pie).
14. Place the salteña upright with the sealed edge on top, onto a greased baking sheet.
15. Brush the entire exterior with the egg whites and bake for 15-25 minutes or until the crimped edge is very well toasted and the dough is a dark golden brown.
You can freeze salteñas (unbaked) as long as they are very well wrapped. When you want to bake them, place them immediately from the freezer to the oven – do not thaw.
Mastication / Destination 