More Spice: Bolivian Picante de Pollo

"Salteñas" are the national dish of Bolivia. They are a snack food similar to Argentina's empañadas, and typically contain meat, potatoes, spices, olives and raisins baked inside a pastry shell. Since we've already had the South American empañada experience, and because I had some chicken thighs and drumsticks in the freezer, I chose to make a popular Bolivian dish called "Picante de Pollo" or "Spicy Chicken" instead.

Spicy it was! This was a week of spicy foods, now that I think about it. (No wonder Baby Keysor has been doing back flips in my belly every night.) The key to the picante de pollo is cayenne pepper and chopped red chili pepper. I sauteed onions, garlic, and the chili pepper in a large pot before adding the chicken pieces and the rest of the ingredients and spices. I then poured enough water in the pot to cover the chicken, and simmered until cooked and soft, about thirty minutes. I topped the chicken with a "salsa cruda" and served it with roasted Yukon and sweet potatoes seasoned with chili powder and cumin.

The chicken was moist and flavorful. The fresh tomatoes in the salsa added a refreshing touch to the dish, and the potatoes were perfect for sopping up the the spicy broth. We loved our Bolivian dinner and scored it a 3.75.