Arepa Reina Pepiada
Crispy on the outside and soft in the middle, an Arepa Reina Pepiada is a corn cake stuffed to the brim with creamy and tangy chicken salad.
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
For the Reina Pepiada:
- 2 roasted or poached cold chicken breasts deboned and skin removed, substitute 4 chicken thighs
- 1/2 medium white onion finely chopped
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves finely chopped
- 1/4 cup 30-Mississippi Mayonnaise page 230, or mayonnaise of choice
- 1 ripe medium avocado diced
- 3 tablespoons freshly-squeezed lime juice
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly-cracked black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon Tajín seasoning optional
For the Arepas:
- 2 cups warm water
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 cups masarepa fine-ground, pre-cooked cornmeal
- 1/4 cup avocado oil for frying
Instructions
For the Reina Pepiada:
- Using your hands, shred the chicken into strands. Add the chicken to a large mixing bowl along with the onion, cilantro, mayonnaise, avocado, lime juice, salt, pepper, and Tajín, if using. Stir until combined. Taste, and adjust seasoning with salt, pepper and lime juice as desired. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Store for up to 5 days in the fridge.
For The Arepas:
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the water and salt and stir until dissolved. Slowly add the masarepa while stirring with a spoon. Continue stirring until no longer clumpy and a dough forms. It should be dry enough that it doesn’t stick to your hands, yet wet enough that it doesn’t crack when you flatten it. You can adjust with more masarepa and water as needed.
- Shape the dough into a ball, place it back in the bowl, cover with a damp towel, and let the dough rest for 10 minutes to allow the dough to hydrate.
- Separate the dough into 4 equal-sized portions for large arepas and form into balls. Using the palms of your hands, gently flatten the balls into discs approximately ¾-inches thick.
- Line a plate with a paper towel and set aside. Add half of the avocado oil to a large cast-iron or non-stick skillet and heat over medium heat until shimmering. Working in batches, carefully add the arepas to the hot oil and fry until golden brown, around 4 minutes. Flip and cook the second side until golden brown for an additional 4 minutes. Add more oil if needed. Transfer the arepas to the prepared paper towel-lined plate and set it aside as you fry the remaining arepas.
- Using a sharp paring knife, make a horizontal incision along half of the arepa to create a pocket. Stuff the pocket with the prepared Reina Pepiada filling and serve. Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days. The arepas can be reheated in a 350F oven until warmed through, around 10 minutes.