Arepas stuffed with chicken

How to prepare arepas stuffed with chicken .

If we talk about  arepas we have to go directly to the other side of the Atlantic, to the more traditional Gastronomy of Venezuela, Colombia or Panama, where they are usually known more as “tortillas”.

Here in Spain, they are also part of the Canary recipes, due to the close relationship between Venezuela and the Canary Islands.

Previously on the blog, I have prepared some very typical arepas in Venezuela , those that carry the “Reina Pepiada” filling , and this time I am going to move a little bit, to the neighboring country Colombia to choose a filling for these arepas, that is, some arepas Venezuelan with a Colombian air.

These arepas are a little different in the preparation of the dough (from the most traditional Venezuelan recipe), and a very Caribbean filling, with chicken, avocado and ripe banana .

In this area of ​​Latin America, arepas are present in many of its dishes. They taste them at all hours of the day, from breakfast to dinner, and for many they are essential on their daily menus.

Arepas are an off-road and “national” food, that is, they can be found in all restaurants and in all homes, whatever their condition and purchasing power. They are fried, roasted or grilled, and can be both salty and sweet.

Preparation of the arepas

1. In the same way that the Venezuelan arepas, we will first prepare the arepas dough, then we will cook them and then we will put the filling while they rest.
2. Finally, we will fill them and enjoy them at the table.
3. For the arepas dough, we will use warm or lukewarm water, to favor the kneading.
4. In a large bowl, pour the water and salt (1 tablespoon of dessert).
5. Next, we are adding the flour little by little, while we mix with the help of a fork. Little by little it will become more consistent.
6. We continue kneading now with our hands, with movements from the outside to the inside, so that the flour absorbs all the liquid.
7. The result will be a homogeneous and uniform dough with a smooth texture.
8. Wet your hands lightly, and go picking up small portions of dough to make balls. Like when you make meatballs.
9. About twice the size of a walnut. Made the balls, we crush them so that they take a round shape: a thickness of approx. 1.5 cm. And about 8-10 cm. diameter.
10. We pour a little oil on a non-stick griddle (or in a pan) and cook the arepas on both sides.
11. In 5 minutes they will begin to take tan color on the outside, and at that point they will also be made inside.
12. We remove them to a plate and cover them with a cloth.
13. While we prepare the filling they will continue to “cook” with the residual heat, and will be ready for when we fill them.

Before cooking. Mayonnaise

1. If you want to accompany your filling with homemade mayonnaise.
2. Here you have how to do it. If not, you can always use your favorite mayonnaise brand.
3. We crack an egg and pour it into the mixer glass.
4. Add a tablespoon of lemon juice and a few grits of salt. Let’s pour the oil.
5. We put the mixer in the glass, start it and keep it still until it thickens.
6. Let’s see how white threads with mayonnaise texture start to come out.
7. We do not make any movement with the mixer until the mixture has taken shape, then we can move up and down until homogeneous. We reserve in the fridge.
8. You can follow all the tips on how to make mayonnaise on the blog or with this video.

Preparation of the chicken filling of the arepas.

1. Chicken meat better than breast, thigh, sirloin, etc. of parts that are tender and then we can easily crumble.
2. We cut it into small pieces and salt to taste.
3. Finely chop the garlic and onion in a small brunoise . We poach in a frying pan. Add the chicken and sauté, until it begins to brown.
4. We salt to taste. We remove everything and reserve on kitchen paper.
5. Peel the avocado and cut the inner meat into small cubes. Equally with the ripe banana.
6. Transfer the chicken meat (plus the garlic and onion) to a large bowl and crumble it.
7. Now we are adding the rest of the ingredients: avocado, banana, mayonnaise , coriander, finely chopped, and we mix everything well together.
8. Once at the table, we cut the arepa in two halves, but without reaching the end, so that it is firmer.

We fill and lists. A Latin snack that will captivate you, and that you can at other times fill with other ingredients to your liking.

You can see all the photos of the step by step in the next album.