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.
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon of vinegar
- 2 lbs. Chicken (preferably whole legs) wash in lime juice
- 1 lb. pork chop
- 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.
- 1 1/2 cup of fresh milk
- 1 1/2 cup water
- 1 Tsp. salt
- 1 Tsp. cumin
- 2 Tsp. sugar
- 4 Tbs. of the marinade
- 3 cup flour (corn-meal white)
- 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
Directions
- To prepare 'Ayaca Leaves' (plantain or banana leaves): Cut the leaf in approximately 40 to 20cm and boil them for 15 minutes with salt and 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 into 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.
- 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.
