Ingredients:
2/3 tbsp yeast
1/4 cup of sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup of melted butter
1/3 cup milk
2-3 cups of flour
2 eggs
400 gr ham (I used this ham from my deli that has bacon on it and mixed it with normal ham)
1 can of deviled ham (optional)
PAM cooking spray
Preparation:
1. Mix the yeast with 1tbsp of sugar and 1/4 of a cup of warm water. Let it rest until it bubbles - about 5 to 10 minutes.
2. In the meantime, mix the wet ingredients together. In a bowl whisk the milk, the rest of the sugar (save 1 tbsp of sugar for later), 1 egg, the salt and the butter. Make sure the butter is not too hot and that you mix it a little at a time or you will get scramble eggs!
3. Once the yeast is ready, add to the liquid mix. Add the flour a cup at a time, whisk the first cup and knead the second cup by hand for about 8 to 10 minutes or until the dough is soft and it does not stick to your fingers. Make a ball with the dough, put in the bowl, cover it with cling film and a kitchen towel and leave on a warm place (I put it in my oven) for 2 hours or until it doubles in size.
4. While waiting, prepare the ham mixture. Cut all your ham into pieces as small or big as you would like. I like mine pretty small as it reminds me of the traditional ones. Put the ham pieces in a bowl and mix with deviled ham to your liking (I used about half of a big can) - this step is optional. Again I used it as it truly gives the cachitos that taste of "panaderia" or bakery made taste!
5. Once the dough has doubled in size - break it into 2 balls. On a flat surface covered with a little flour, roll one ball with a rolling pin into a thin circle. With a knife or pizza cutter, cut the dough into 6 slices like if it was a pizza - you will end up with 6 triangles (if you want small cachitos cut into 8 and for large ones cut into 4 triangles). Do the same with the second ball of dough.
6. Take one triangle at a time and roll it over so it gets even thinner. Put a little more than a spoonful of ham mixture at the wider end of the triangle. Gently fold the two corners inwards to stop the ham from falling of the cachito when baked, then gently roll the cachito.
7. Put then in an oven tray sprayed with PAM, brush them with a mixture of one egg and 1 tbsp of sugar. Cover the tray with cling film and leave them rest for about an hour. Leave space between the cachitos as they will almost double in size.
8. Pre heat your oven at 350F - Brush the cachitos again with the egg and sugar mixture and bake the cachitos for about 15 to 18 minutes or until slightly brown on top.
9. Remove the cachitos from the oven and let them cool a little on a rack (if you can resist not to eat them!!). Eat them warm. You can reheat the cachitos on your oven during the day.
Showing posts with label Venezuela. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Venezuela. Show all posts
Caramel Lemon Syrup
Ingredients
4 tablespoons sweet butter
2 cups light brown sugar
1 cup lemonade
Instructions
Heat brown sugar and butter in heavy bottom, medium sized pan over medium heat until it begins to melt. Continue to cook, stirring constantly.
Carefully stir in lemonade stirring to blend and dissolve lumps,(When the lemonade is poured upon the caramel, considerable commotion will take place and care must be taken to keep the hand out of the steam).
Jar and use as needed.
4 tablespoons sweet butter
2 cups light brown sugar
1 cup lemonade
Instructions
Heat brown sugar and butter in heavy bottom, medium sized pan over medium heat until it begins to melt. Continue to cook, stirring constantly.
Carefully stir in lemonade stirring to blend and dissolve lumps,(When the lemonade is poured upon the caramel, considerable commotion will take place and care must be taken to keep the hand out of the steam).
Jar and use as needed.
Quesillo
Ingredients:
1 can of sweetened condensed milk
1 can of whole milk (I use the same as the condensed milk)
4 eggs
¾ cup of sugar
A metallic recipient with lid (like a cookie can)
Directions:
1. Pour the condensed milk in a bowl
2. Then fill the same can with whole milk
3. Add it to the condensed milk, add the eggs and mix it (with a whisk, blender, mini pinner, etc) very well.
4. Leave it aside.
5. For the caramel, in a small pot place the sugar over low heat.
6. Leave it until it starts melting. It will make some crumbs in some point but at the end it will be liquid.
7. When it is completely melted, immediately pour it in the metallic recipient.
8. Spread it all over the recipient, on the sides too. Be careful because it is very hot.
9. Once it’s done, pour the mixture over the milk and eggs mix
10. Cover it with the lid.
11. Now place it in a big pot with a little of water. Make sure the water doesn’t cover more than ¼ of the height of the recipient (not the pot).
12. Cover the pot and bring it to a simmer over low heat for 45 minutes to 1 hour. You don’t need to check out the quesillo while is cooking but just keep an eye on the level of water.
13. When time is up, just wait until it’s warm, uncover it and place a plate instead of the lid and turn it over to unmold it.
1 can of sweetened condensed milk
1 can of whole milk (I use the same as the condensed milk)
4 eggs
¾ cup of sugar
A metallic recipient with lid (like a cookie can)
Directions:
1. Pour the condensed milk in a bowl
2. Then fill the same can with whole milk
3. Add it to the condensed milk, add the eggs and mix it (with a whisk, blender, mini pinner, etc) very well.
4. Leave it aside.
5. For the caramel, in a small pot place the sugar over low heat.
6. Leave it until it starts melting. It will make some crumbs in some point but at the end it will be liquid.
7. When it is completely melted, immediately pour it in the metallic recipient.
8. Spread it all over the recipient, on the sides too. Be careful because it is very hot.
9. Once it’s done, pour the mixture over the milk and eggs mix
10. Cover it with the lid.
11. Now place it in a big pot with a little of water. Make sure the water doesn’t cover more than ¼ of the height of the recipient (not the pot).
12. Cover the pot and bring it to a simmer over low heat for 45 minutes to 1 hour. You don’t need to check out the quesillo while is cooking but just keep an eye on the level of water.
13. When time is up, just wait until it’s warm, uncover it and place a plate instead of the lid and turn it over to unmold it.
Pabellon Criollo
Ingredients (for the Venezuelan Shredded Beef):
2 lb. flank steak
8 cups of water (or enough to cover the beef)
Salt (to taste)
1 stick green onion
1 peppermint or spearmint leaf
1 or 2 sprigs of parsley
1 or 2 sticks of celery
1/2 onion
1/ red bell pepper
Ingredients (for the Beef's Sofrito):
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 1/2 onions
1 1/2 bell peppers
1 garlic clove
3 1/2 "ajíes dulces" (Sweet Habanero or Yellow Lantern Chili Pepper)
2 tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 or 2 sprigs of cilantro
1 Tablespoon Soy Sauce
Ingredients (for the Venezuelan Black Beans):
5 cups of water
1 cup of black beans (washed and strained)
1/2 red bell pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon of oil
1/2 onion
1 1/2 "ajíes dulces" (Sweet Habanero or Yellow Lantern Chilli)
1/2 garlic head
1/2 tablespoon cumin
Ingredients (for the Venezuelan White Rice):
1 cup white rice
2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon oil
1 garlic clove (minced)
1/2 medium onion diced in two
1/8 green bell pepper in strips
1/8 red bell pepper in strips
Ingredients (for the Venezuelan Fried Plantains):
1 Ripe/yellow plantain
1 Cup vegetable oil – or as needed (for frying)
Paper towels
Directions:
Venezuelan Shredded Beef:
1. Cut the Flank Steak in 2 or 4 pieces so they fit in your pot.
2. In a large enough pot, place the Flank Steak and cover with enough water.
3. Add the salt, green onion, peppermint, parsley, celery, onion and bell pepper. Cover and cook for about 4 hours at medium heat until the steak softens.
4. Remove from heat, take the steak out of the pot, place in a baking sheet and let it cool for a little bit (you can use the remaining beef stock for other preparations).
5. Once the beef is cool enough to handle, start shredding or pulling it. Be sure to pick out the fat and hard parts of the beef at this point.
6. In a large enough pot, add the oil, and sauté the rest of the onion, the bell pepper the garlic and ajíes cut in Juliennes, for about 5 minutes.
7. Add the beef to this sauté mixture and continue to sauté for about 3 minutes.
8. Add the tomatoes, the pepper, the cilantro, and the soy sauce. Taste everything to make sure you don't need more salt or soy sauce.
9. Cook at low heat for about 15 minutes. You may also add a bit of the beef stock and cook at medium heat until the liquid is reduced.
Venezuelan Black Beans:
1. Pick out "bad" Black Beans and little rocks or other impurities from your cup of Black Beans and wash them as well.
2. In a large enough pot, add the cup of Black Beans and add the water to them. Let them soak for a maximum of 12 hours and a minimum of 5 hours.
3. In a pot, add the bell pepper and cook at a medium heat, covered, for about an hour and a half or until they become soft. Add the salt.
4. In a different pan make the "sofrito" by frying the onion, the ajíes and the garlic with the oil until they turn brown (about 5 minutes).
5. Add the cumin, stir, and remove from the heat.
6. Add the "sofrito" to the pot where the Black Beans are cooking and reduce the heat. Let this cook for another 10 minutes, or until the liquid has almost completely evaporated (depending if you will be serving them as a side or as a soup). However, it is recommended to leave a bit of the liquid so they taste better.
Venezuelan White Rice:
1. Add the salt, oil, garlic, onion, bell peppers and rice into a large enough pot.
2. Stir-fry all the ingredients on high heat, and then as they brown, add the water.
3. Bring to a boil, and then cook until the water has almost completely evaporated.
4. Turn the heat to low, cover, and cook for about 15 minutes, until the rice is soft, dry and loose/fluffy.
5. Remove the pot from the heat, and remove all the big pieces of onion and bell peppers. Serve with butter on top and enjoy.
Venezuelan Fried Plantains:
1. Pour the vegetable oil in a large enough pan and turn on the stove to medium heat, so the oil starts heating up while you prepare the plantains.
2. Cut the two ends of the plantain and make an incision with a knife along the side.
3. Remove the skin. Cut the plantain in half. You can make a straight/down the middle kind of cut, or a slanted cut to have more oval like tajadas,. If you cut them in the slanted way, they look better, but the flavor is the same.
4. Make about 4 slices out of each side of the plantain by slicing them sideways, to form slices of about 0.25 – 0.75 inches. Don't make them thicker than that.
5. Lay the plantains on the frying pan and begin to fry them until they are golden brown, turning them if necessary, to fry both sides equally (about 2 minutes per side).
6. Remove the tajadas from the pan one by one and lay on top of a paper towel to remove the excess oil. Serve and enjoy!
2 lb. flank steak
8 cups of water (or enough to cover the beef)
Salt (to taste)
1 stick green onion
1 peppermint or spearmint leaf
1 or 2 sprigs of parsley
1 or 2 sticks of celery
1/2 onion
1/ red bell pepper
Ingredients (for the Beef's Sofrito):
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 1/2 onions
1 1/2 bell peppers
1 garlic clove
3 1/2 "ajíes dulces" (Sweet Habanero or Yellow Lantern Chili Pepper)
2 tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 or 2 sprigs of cilantro
1 Tablespoon Soy Sauce
Ingredients (for the Venezuelan Black Beans):
5 cups of water
1 cup of black beans (washed and strained)
1/2 red bell pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon of oil
1/2 onion
1 1/2 "ajíes dulces" (Sweet Habanero or Yellow Lantern Chilli)
1/2 garlic head
1/2 tablespoon cumin
Ingredients (for the Venezuelan White Rice):
1 cup white rice
2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon oil
1 garlic clove (minced)
1/2 medium onion diced in two
1/8 green bell pepper in strips
1/8 red bell pepper in strips
Ingredients (for the Venezuelan Fried Plantains):
1 Ripe/yellow plantain
1 Cup vegetable oil – or as needed (for frying)
Paper towels
Directions:
Venezuelan Shredded Beef:
1. Cut the Flank Steak in 2 or 4 pieces so they fit in your pot.
2. In a large enough pot, place the Flank Steak and cover with enough water.
3. Add the salt, green onion, peppermint, parsley, celery, onion and bell pepper. Cover and cook for about 4 hours at medium heat until the steak softens.
4. Remove from heat, take the steak out of the pot, place in a baking sheet and let it cool for a little bit (you can use the remaining beef stock for other preparations).
5. Once the beef is cool enough to handle, start shredding or pulling it. Be sure to pick out the fat and hard parts of the beef at this point.
6. In a large enough pot, add the oil, and sauté the rest of the onion, the bell pepper the garlic and ajíes cut in Juliennes, for about 5 minutes.
7. Add the beef to this sauté mixture and continue to sauté for about 3 minutes.
8. Add the tomatoes, the pepper, the cilantro, and the soy sauce. Taste everything to make sure you don't need more salt or soy sauce.
9. Cook at low heat for about 15 minutes. You may also add a bit of the beef stock and cook at medium heat until the liquid is reduced.
Venezuelan Black Beans:
1. Pick out "bad" Black Beans and little rocks or other impurities from your cup of Black Beans and wash them as well.
2. In a large enough pot, add the cup of Black Beans and add the water to them. Let them soak for a maximum of 12 hours and a minimum of 5 hours.
3. In a pot, add the bell pepper and cook at a medium heat, covered, for about an hour and a half or until they become soft. Add the salt.
4. In a different pan make the "sofrito" by frying the onion, the ajíes and the garlic with the oil until they turn brown (about 5 minutes).
5. Add the cumin, stir, and remove from the heat.
6. Add the "sofrito" to the pot where the Black Beans are cooking and reduce the heat. Let this cook for another 10 minutes, or until the liquid has almost completely evaporated (depending if you will be serving them as a side or as a soup). However, it is recommended to leave a bit of the liquid so they taste better.
Venezuelan White Rice:
1. Add the salt, oil, garlic, onion, bell peppers and rice into a large enough pot.
2. Stir-fry all the ingredients on high heat, and then as they brown, add the water.
3. Bring to a boil, and then cook until the water has almost completely evaporated.
4. Turn the heat to low, cover, and cook for about 15 minutes, until the rice is soft, dry and loose/fluffy.
5. Remove the pot from the heat, and remove all the big pieces of onion and bell peppers. Serve with butter on top and enjoy.
Venezuelan Fried Plantains:
1. Pour the vegetable oil in a large enough pan and turn on the stove to medium heat, so the oil starts heating up while you prepare the plantains.
2. Cut the two ends of the plantain and make an incision with a knife along the side.
3. Remove the skin. Cut the plantain in half. You can make a straight/down the middle kind of cut, or a slanted cut to have more oval like tajadas,. If you cut them in the slanted way, they look better, but the flavor is the same.
4. Make about 4 slices out of each side of the plantain by slicing them sideways, to form slices of about 0.25 – 0.75 inches. Don't make them thicker than that.
5. Lay the plantains on the frying pan and begin to fry them until they are golden brown, turning them if necessary, to fry both sides equally (about 2 minutes per side).
6. Remove the tajadas from the pan one by one and lay on top of a paper towel to remove the excess oil. Serve and enjoy!
Soncocho de Gallina
Ingredients:
1 Whole Chicken
1 Lemon (to clean the chicken)
2 Small Onions
2 Large Leeks
2 Bell Peppers
2 Cilantro Stems
1 Lb. Yuca
1 Lb. Apio (celery)
1 Lb. Ocumo (Sold as Malanga in the US)
1 Lb. Auyama (Sold as “calabaza” – Cucurbita moschata or ayote or zapallo, is a type of pumpkin squash)
1 Lb. Batata Blanca Alargada (Sold as Boniato or White Sweet Potato)
3 Large Ears of Corn
8 Garlic Cloves
2 Small Stems of Spearmint
2 Tablespoons Salt
1 Teaspoon Pepper
Water
Preparation:
1. First cut the chicken, or if you want to make your life easier, buy the pieces separately (breasts and drums, bones included). Wash the chicken pieces by using two halves of the lemon to scrub it and then rinse it and damp dry with paper towels.
2. Place the chicken in a large enough pot and fill with water, about half the pot, enough to cover the chicken. Add the ears of corn as well; cut them in thirds or fourths. Bring to a boil.
3. Add the leeks, bell peppers and the onions. You can wash these and then cut in large pieces, since they will be removed later.
4. Cook for about one hour to an hour and a half or until the chicken is thoroughly cooked. Add the cilantro right around half way through cooking the chicken. Add more water as necessary.
5. You will notice that a layer of foam will start to form on the top as you cook. You should keep an eye on the pot and remove the foam as it starts to collect on the top.
6. Once the chicken is cooked, remove the chicken from the broth and set aside to cool for a bit. In the meantime strain the broth, so that you remove all the pieces of onion, leek, bell peppers and cilantro. Be sure to keep the broth, since we will use it to cook the rest of the ingredients.
7. Use however much broth you have, hopefully around 11 Cups. Wash, cut and peel (if necessary) the rest of the ingredients in large pieces (Yuca, Apio, Boniato, Malanga, Calabaza, etc.), and add them to the pot with the broth. Also add the garlic, the salt and the pepper.
8. Boil on high for about 30 minutes or until all the vegetables are ready. In the meantime you can shred the chicken using a fork to remove the meat from the bones and set aside the meat to add it to the soup later on. You can leave some bigger pieces of chicken as well.
9. When the vegetables are almost done, you can add the chicken, the spearmint and a little bit more cilantro.
10. Turn the heat to low and continue to cook for about 5 more minutes. Remove the cilantro and spearmint.
Serve hot with casabe or a plain arepa. It is also a custom to add a couple of pieces of avocado.
You can also take out the chicken and corn from the soup, and blend the soup into a cream, and then add back the chicken and the corn, for a delicious cream version of this soup.
Note: When cutting the Malanga, you should wear gloves because it might sting if you get it on your skin or eyes.
Optional: Some people add other types of vegetables and ingredients in the soups like potatoes, carrots, zucchini, yam, bollos, hallaquitas, plantains, etc.
1 Whole Chicken
1 Lemon (to clean the chicken)
2 Small Onions
2 Large Leeks
2 Bell Peppers
2 Cilantro Stems
1 Lb. Yuca
1 Lb. Apio (celery)
1 Lb. Ocumo (Sold as Malanga in the US)
1 Lb. Auyama (Sold as “calabaza” – Cucurbita moschata or ayote or zapallo, is a type of pumpkin squash)
1 Lb. Batata Blanca Alargada (Sold as Boniato or White Sweet Potato)
3 Large Ears of Corn
8 Garlic Cloves
2 Small Stems of Spearmint
2 Tablespoons Salt
1 Teaspoon Pepper
Water
Preparation:
1. First cut the chicken, or if you want to make your life easier, buy the pieces separately (breasts and drums, bones included). Wash the chicken pieces by using two halves of the lemon to scrub it and then rinse it and damp dry with paper towels.
2. Place the chicken in a large enough pot and fill with water, about half the pot, enough to cover the chicken. Add the ears of corn as well; cut them in thirds or fourths. Bring to a boil.
3. Add the leeks, bell peppers and the onions. You can wash these and then cut in large pieces, since they will be removed later.
4. Cook for about one hour to an hour and a half or until the chicken is thoroughly cooked. Add the cilantro right around half way through cooking the chicken. Add more water as necessary.
5. You will notice that a layer of foam will start to form on the top as you cook. You should keep an eye on the pot and remove the foam as it starts to collect on the top.
6. Once the chicken is cooked, remove the chicken from the broth and set aside to cool for a bit. In the meantime strain the broth, so that you remove all the pieces of onion, leek, bell peppers and cilantro. Be sure to keep the broth, since we will use it to cook the rest of the ingredients.
7. Use however much broth you have, hopefully around 11 Cups. Wash, cut and peel (if necessary) the rest of the ingredients in large pieces (Yuca, Apio, Boniato, Malanga, Calabaza, etc.), and add them to the pot with the broth. Also add the garlic, the salt and the pepper.
8. Boil on high for about 30 minutes or until all the vegetables are ready. In the meantime you can shred the chicken using a fork to remove the meat from the bones and set aside the meat to add it to the soup later on. You can leave some bigger pieces of chicken as well.
9. When the vegetables are almost done, you can add the chicken, the spearmint and a little bit more cilantro.
10. Turn the heat to low and continue to cook for about 5 more minutes. Remove the cilantro and spearmint.
Serve hot with casabe or a plain arepa. It is also a custom to add a couple of pieces of avocado.
You can also take out the chicken and corn from the soup, and blend the soup into a cream, and then add back the chicken and the corn, for a delicious cream version of this soup.
Note: When cutting the Malanga, you should wear gloves because it might sting if you get it on your skin or eyes.
Optional: Some people add other types of vegetables and ingredients in the soups like potatoes, carrots, zucchini, yam, bollos, hallaquitas, plantains, etc.
Arepas Reina Pepiadas
Ingredients
Filling
2 6-ounce skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1/2 small onion, sliced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 ripe Hass avocado, pitted, peeled, and coarsely chopped
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar, plus more to taste
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
1/2 jalapeño, seeded and minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup seeded and diced (1/4-inch) red bell pepper
2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
1 scallion, white and green parts, finely chopped
Arepas
3 cups lukewarm water, or as needed
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
3 cups Venezuelan cornmeal, or as needed *
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon canola or vegetable oil, plus more for the griddle
Preparation
1. To make the filling, place the chicken breasts and onion in a medium saucepan and add enough cold water to cover by 1 inch. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, until the chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes. Remove the chicken from the saucepan and let cool completely. Tear the chicken into shreds.
2. Mash the avocado, mayonnaise, and vinegar together in a medium bowl with an immersion blender or large fork until smooth. Stir in the cilantro, parsley, jalapeno, and garlic. Add the chicken, red pepper, red onion, and scallion and mix together. Season with salt and pepper. Taste and add more vinegar to give the filling a pleasant, but not sour, tang. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
3. To make the arepas, stir 3 cups lukewarm water and the salt together in a large bowl to dissolve the salt. Gradually add 3 cups cornmeal, mixing with your fingers to dissolve any lumps, adding enough to make a soft dough that holds its shape without cracking when molded. Set dough aside to rest for 3 minutes. Add the oil and work it in with your hands, adding cornmeal or water to return the dough to the proper consistency.
4. Divide the dough into 6 equal portions. Shape each into a 4-inch diameter disk, about 1 inch thick. Transfer to a baking sheet.
5. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly oil a large nonstick skillet or griddle and heat over medium heat.
6. In batches, place the arepas in the skillet. Cook until the underside is a splotchy golden brown, about 4 minutes. Turn and brown the other side. Return arepas to the baking sheet.
7. When all of the arepas are browned, transfer them directly to the oven rack (without the baking sheet). Bake until the surfaces of the arepas have formed a taut skin—if you rap your fingers on one, it will feel and sound like a drum. Return arepas to the baking sheet and let cool slightly. Split each arepa in half and fill with the chicken mixture. Serve warm.
Note:
** For arepas, you must use precooked cornmeal (labeled harina or harina precocida), imported from Venezuela. American cornmeal or corn flour and Mexican masa harina will not work. The most popular brand of precooked cornmeal is P.A.N., found at Latino markets or online at www.amigofoods.com. Use white (blanco) cornmeal only.
Filling
2 6-ounce skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1/2 small onion, sliced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 ripe Hass avocado, pitted, peeled, and coarsely chopped
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar, plus more to taste
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
1/2 jalapeño, seeded and minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup seeded and diced (1/4-inch) red bell pepper
2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
1 scallion, white and green parts, finely chopped
Arepas
3 cups lukewarm water, or as needed
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
3 cups Venezuelan cornmeal, or as needed *
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon canola or vegetable oil, plus more for the griddle
Preparation
1. To make the filling, place the chicken breasts and onion in a medium saucepan and add enough cold water to cover by 1 inch. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, until the chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes. Remove the chicken from the saucepan and let cool completely. Tear the chicken into shreds.
2. Mash the avocado, mayonnaise, and vinegar together in a medium bowl with an immersion blender or large fork until smooth. Stir in the cilantro, parsley, jalapeno, and garlic. Add the chicken, red pepper, red onion, and scallion and mix together. Season with salt and pepper. Taste and add more vinegar to give the filling a pleasant, but not sour, tang. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
3. To make the arepas, stir 3 cups lukewarm water and the salt together in a large bowl to dissolve the salt. Gradually add 3 cups cornmeal, mixing with your fingers to dissolve any lumps, adding enough to make a soft dough that holds its shape without cracking when molded. Set dough aside to rest for 3 minutes. Add the oil and work it in with your hands, adding cornmeal or water to return the dough to the proper consistency.
4. Divide the dough into 6 equal portions. Shape each into a 4-inch diameter disk, about 1 inch thick. Transfer to a baking sheet.
5. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly oil a large nonstick skillet or griddle and heat over medium heat.
6. In batches, place the arepas in the skillet. Cook until the underside is a splotchy golden brown, about 4 minutes. Turn and brown the other side. Return arepas to the baking sheet.
7. When all of the arepas are browned, transfer them directly to the oven rack (without the baking sheet). Bake until the surfaces of the arepas have formed a taut skin—if you rap your fingers on one, it will feel and sound like a drum. Return arepas to the baking sheet and let cool slightly. Split each arepa in half and fill with the chicken mixture. Serve warm.
Note:
** For arepas, you must use precooked cornmeal (labeled harina or harina precocida), imported from Venezuela. American cornmeal or corn flour and Mexican masa harina will not work. The most popular brand of precooked cornmeal is P.A.N., found at Latino markets or online at www.amigofoods.com. Use white (blanco) cornmeal only.
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