At the chef's table: Kamilla Seidler in Bolivia
Bolivian cuisine is more than just stodgy staples. Chef Kamilla Seidler selects some of the country's most these delectable street eats.
Anticucho stall, Bolivia.
Anticucho is a traditional Bolivian street food. These fire-roasted skewers are made of thinly sliced beef heart, filleted and marinated in a special brine, and accompanied by potato and a yellow chilli peanut sauce. They're sold from street carts in many Bolivian cities, and in food courts like Las Velas, a La Paz market that's become part of the city's identity.
Tucumanas
Fried empanadas filled with a mix of meat or chicken with vegetables and egg. The personality of tucumanas lies in their side sauce, which can include avocado, olive, peanuts, chilli and llajwa, a traditional fresh tomato and chilli sauce, giving each bite an irresistible flavour.
Sandwich de Chola
This pork sandwich is prepared with baked pork leg marinated in brine. It's made with sarnita — a traditional bread — and pork rind, and served with pickled carrots, onion and a chilli sauce.
Choripan
A chorizo (a spiced pork sausage) sandwich, better known as choripan, topped with vinegar-aged carrots and onions. It is prepared with sarnita or marraqueta bread, lettuce, tomato, pickles and llajwa sauce.
Salteñas
Savoury pastries filled with beef or chicken mixed in a soupy sauce containing peas, eggs, olives, potatoes and other ingredients. Served sweet, slightly spicy or very spicy.
Make it at home: Traditional Bolivian Anticucho
Peanut sauce:
200g peanuts
200ml water
10g salt
15g yellow chilli powder
1. Toast peanuts until golden.
2. Blend with equal parts water along with the remaining ingredients until smooth. Adjust desired thickness of sauce by adding water.
Beef heart & potatoes:
500g potatoes
500g beef heart
100ml vinegar
5g each of salt, cumin, parsley, dill, mint
1. Boil potatoes until soft. Let cool and cut in half.
2. Slice heart into thin strips by cutting into it half a centimetre away from and parallel to the cutting board, rotating as you go.
3. Season heart strips with vinegar, salt and cumin.
4. Skewer heart strips, and top with half a potato.
5. Shock herbs in iced water and dry on paper towels.
6. Brush skewers with oil and cook on a hot grill.
7. Serve with warm peanut sauce and herbs.
About the chef – Kamilla Seidler
Seidler was born in Copenhagen, and studied at København Hotel & Restaurantskolen. She's worked at Mugaritz, Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons and Geist. Since 2012, she's been executive head chef at Gustu in La Paz.
Published in the South America 2016 guide, distributed with the October 2016 issue of National Geographic Traveller (UK)
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