Arepas Reina Pepiada

Ingredients

• 300g pre-cooked white cornmeal (masarepa)
• 500ml warm water
• 1 tsp salt, for the dough
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil, plus more for cooking
• 400g cooked chicken breast, shredded
• 2 ripe avocados
• 4 tbsp mayonnaise
• 1 small onion, very finely chopped
• juice of 1 lime
• 1 bunch coriander, chopped
• 1/2 tsp salt for the filling
• 1/2 tsp black pepper

Before you cook

• Shred the cooked chicken into fine strands with two forks.
• Finely chop the onion and coriander.
• Halve and stone the avocados and scoop the flesh into a bowl.
• Squeeze the lime juice over the avocado straight away so it does not darken.

Steps

1. Pour the warm water into a wide bowl and stir in 1 tsp salt until it dissolves.
2. Rain in the masarepa with one hand while stirring with the other.
3. Add 1 tbsp oil and knead the dough in the bowl for 3 minutes until it is smooth and no longer sticky.
4. Cover the dough and rest it for 5 minutes, which lets the corn absorb the last of the water.
5. Divide the dough into 8 balls and flatten each into a disc about 9cm wide and 1.5cm thick.
6. Smooth the edges of each disc between your palms so they do not crack.
7. Heat a lightly oiled griddle or heavy frying pan over a medium heat.
8. Cook the arepas for 6 to 7 minutes on each side until a firm crust forms and they sound hollow when tapped.
9. Move the arepas to a 180°C oven for 10 minutes to finish cooking through.
10. Mash the avocado roughly with a fork, leaving some lumps.
11. Fold in the mayonnaise, shredded chicken, onion, coriander, salt and pepper.
12. Taste the filling and add more lime until it tastes bright.
13. Split each hot arepa most of the way through with a knife, opening it like a pocket.
14. Pull out a little of the soft interior if the pocket is tight.
15. Fill each arepa generously with the reina pepiada and serve at once.