Name: Venezuelan arepas reina pepiada
Total time: 40 min
Yield: Serves 4 as a snack or side
Cuisine: Venezuelan
Ingredients: 200g cornmeal, (we used Harina Pan Blanca); 2 tsp vegetable oil, plus a little extra for frying; 1 avocado; ½ lime, juiced; 1½ tbsp mayonnaise; 200g shredded chicken, (boiled in vegetable stock and salt)

a plate of arepas with a small bowl of lime wedges and a knife on a pink fabric background

AREPA DOUGH

200g cornmeal
(we used Harina Pan Blanca)
2 tsp vegetable oil
plus a little extra for frying

PEPIADA FILLING

1 avocado
½ lime
juiced
1½ tbsp mayonnaise
200g shredded chicken
(boiled in vegetable stock and salt)

Method

step 1
Heat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Put the cornmeal, oil and ½ tsp of salt in a bowl. Add 100ml of cold water and allow it to soak for a few minutes, before mixing to form a dough.
step 2
Knead until it’s a slightly wet, soft dough without any lumps. Make balls of dough weighing roughly 150g each, until you run out of dough, and flatten each ball using a little oil in your hands.
step 3
Heat a non-stick pan with a little oil and fry the arepas until a crust forms on both sides.
step 4
Put them on a baking tray in the oven for 8-10 minutes or until they puff up. Cool on a wire rack until warm.
step 5
Tip the avocado into a bowl and mash with the lime juice. Mix in the mayo and the cooked chicken, and season. Split the arepas in half and fill with the avocado and chicken mixture.