How to make arepas with queen pepiada

If we talk about the arepas it is quite likely that countries like Venezuela, Colombia or Panama come to mind. In fact, those known as Venezuelan arepas they stand out precisely because they have reached the kitchen of a very wide variety of places, including Spain, as a result, above all, of the migratory exchanges that have taken place between Venezuela and the Canary Islands for decades.

If we had to define them, we could say that consist of a dish made of ground and / or precooked corn dough, can be prepared and cooked in different ways: in a pan or in the oven, roasted, fried, baked and even boiled.

They have a round shape and although they are not very thick it is usual to split them in half and fill them with succulent options.

The traditional and typical recipe is made only with these ingredients: precooked white corn flour, oil, water and salt. However, it is also true that other ingredients, such as margarine or butter, can be added to the dough.

And what are the most used fillers? Stuffed beef fillet, shredded chicken, stews, dogfish or cheese. There are even those who choose to sweeten them and prefer fruit or chocolate jams.

But if there is a traditional filling par excellence that is known as Queen pepiada. It basically consists of a Chicken or chicken salad topped with a piece of avocado.

What is the origin of the peeled queen arepa?

Do you know its origin? Its name goes back to the year 1955, when the Venezuelan model Susana Dujim won the championship of miss World. In honor of the achievement, the arepa business of Heriberto Álvarez and brothers dressed as queen to one of his nieces, who at that time was only 12 years old.

This action attracted the clientele, among them the father of the new Venezuelan Miss World. Excited he promised to take his daughter. As the days passed, he did so, and upon arriving at the store, they told him that they had prepared a special arepa, which they called queen pepiada, which comes to mean "sovereign of good curves".

Recipe of Venezuelan arepas of pepiada reina

Ingredients for the arepas dough:

  • 2 cups precooked white cornmeal
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 and a half cups of water
  • Olive oil

Ingredients for the queen pepiada:

  • 2 cooked chicken breasts
  • 2 avocados
  • 1 clove garlic
  • Half red onion
  • 4 tablespoons mayonnaise (if it is homemade better)
  • Pepper
  • Salt

Preparation of peeled queen arepas:

  1. First of all let's make the arepas. In a bowl pour a cup and a half of water. Add salt and a drizzle of olive oil. Now add the flour little by little, diluting it in the water. It is important that you do it with care, to avoid lumps forming.
  2. Knead with the hands adding the flour little by little and water, until you obtain a soft dough (this dough should not stick in the hands).
  3. Now form balls of medium size with the help of the hands, flattening them and giving them a symmetrical round shape with little thickness.
  4. Preheat the oven to 200ºC.
  5. Heat a non-stick pan with a little oil. When hot, place the arepas and let them cook on both sides. The ideal moment to know what they are made of? They should be lifted off the pan alone.
  6. Then put the roasted arepas on a baking tray and let them finish in the oven for a few minutes, until they acquire a golden hue and their shape is bulging.
  7. Now it's time to prepare the filling. Fray the chicken breasts and put them in a bowl. Cut the onion into small pieces and garlic very well, and add them to the bowl.
  8. Cut the avocados into small squares and add them to the previous bowl, mixing carefully.
  9. Crush a little and add the homemade mayonnaise in the amounts indicated.
  10. To finish, add pepper and salt to taste. Mix and go!
  11. You just have to open the arepas in half and fill them with your queen pepiada.

AREPAS REINA PEPIADA | Receta venezolana (November 2024)