Ayaca

(Makes about 6 ayacas)

Families come together to prepare the ayaca to wake up their Christmas Spirit listening to Christmas music creating a wonderful atmosphere. Ayaca has become a Christmas tradition since a couple of decades. We adopted it mostly from Venezuelan immigrants and changed it a bit to add an Arubian flavor. This meal is usually made on the last week of November in great quantity storing the ayacas in the freezer ready to be served during the holidays.

To prepare 'Ayaca Leaves' (plantain or banana leaves):
Cut the leaf in approximately 40 to 20cm and boil them for 15 minutes with

• salt
• 1 teaspoon of vinegar

Drain, discarding water, smear a little fat on the leaves and place them in the fridge for later use.

For the filling:

• 2 lbs. Chicken (preferably whole legs) wash in lime juice
• 1 lb. pork chop

Put the chicken and the pork in a large pan with: 

• 2 Tbs. tomato paste
• 3 Tbs. butter
• 3 Tbs. vegetable oil
• 1 chicken bouillon cube
• garlic powder, curry, chicken broth, oregano, soy sauce, salt and
  pepper to taste.

Close the pan and continue cooking for a few minutes. Then just before it
starts boiling remove the chicken and pork. De-bone the chicken in to small pieces and chop the pork also in small pieces. Add a bit of the marinade to the chicken to keep it from drying and set aside.

To make the dough put in a pan:

• 1 1/2 cup of fresh milk
• 1 1/2 cup water

and just before it starts to boil add :

• 1 Tsp. salt
• 1 Tsp. cumin
• 2 Tsp. sugar
• 4 Tbs. of the marinade

Mix it well and remove from the stove. Slowly while stirring add:

• 3 cup flour (corn-meal white)

Spread some dough on the leaves and not too thick. Put on the dough :

• 1 Tbs. chicken with a little sauce
• 1 piece a pork
• 1 prune (dried)
• some raisins
• 1 olive
• 1 slice pickle
• 1 cashew (nut)
• 1 dice of ham
• a little bit piccalilli
• 1 baby onion

Fold the ayaca leaf close then put another leaf on the folded side, and fold again. Then tie the ayaca with a string. Then boil them in water with salt for 1 hour. It's ready to eat ! You can store it also in the freezer for later.