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Arepa Reina Pepiada (venezuela)

Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 45 minutes
Servings: 4 People
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Venezuelan

Ingredients
  

Reina Pepiada
  • 1.5lb Chicken breast
  • 1 Red Onion Roughly Chopped
  • 3 Garlic Cloves Smashed
  • 1 Bundle of Cilantro
  • Salt
  • 1 Bay Leaf
  • 2 Avocado Mashed
  • 1/2 White Onion Finely Diced
  • 1 tbsp Lemon Juice
  • 1 tsp salt and pepper
  • 3 Tbsp mayo
  • 2 tbsp shredded Parmeson or cheese of choice
Arepas
  • 2 C Corn Meal or Corn Flour I used P.A.N White corn meal
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1.5 tbsp Buter Melted
  • 2 1/4 c Warm water
Arepas Con Queso
  • 1 1/4 c Warm water
  • 1 c Corn Meal or Corn Flour I used P.A.N White corn meal
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 1 tsp salt
  • whole milk mozzarella or Oaxaca Shredded by hand. Not pre-shredded

Method
 

Cook the chicken
  1. To a pot, boil water and add in the chicken, Red onion, garlic cloves, cilantro salt and bay leaves. Boil for 30 minutes until chicken is fully cooked.
    Take the chicken out and shred.
    Combine the mashed avocado, diced white onion, some chopped cilantro, mayo, Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper and mix well then add the chicken and mix until everything is well combined. Set aside.
Make Arepas
  1. To a mixing bowl add the corn flour. Measure out the warm water and add the salt and butter to it to dissolve and melt then add the mixture to the flour and start mixing with your hands to ensure all the lumps are out. keep mixing for about 5 minutes then cover and set aside for 5 minutes.
Make Arepas con queso
  1. To another mixing bowl add the corn flour. Measure out the warm water and add the salt and butter to it to dissolve and melt then add the mixture to the flour and start mixing with your hands to ensure all the lumps are out. Add in a heavy sprinkle of your cheese of choice, I used whole milk mozzarella but everyone says Oaxaca is best! keep mixing for about 5 minutes then cover and set aside for 5 minutes.
Cook the Arepas
  1. Heat a large skillet to medium ish to medium low heat. Spray your hands with olive oil and grab a portion of the dough and shape into a disc, place on the skillet and repeat until you have about 3-4 on the skillet. cook each arepa for 10 minutes on each side. Repeat until all the dough is used.
  2. To make the arepas con queso Grab some of the cheese dough with oiled hands, form a small disc with an indent, take some shredded cheese and stuff in on then form it back into a ball making sure the bundle of cheese is on the inside and shape back into a disc.
    Cook on the skillet for 2 minutes on each side until they have cooked for a total of 10 minutes on each side.
Plate!
  1. Cut open a regular arepa, add some butter inside if desired and some cheese and close it to melt a little then stuff it with the chicken avocado mixture and top with more cheese!
    I've heard a garlic sauce is very good with this but I did not make any but definitely try it out!! I plan to the next time I make it.