Serves 6
Maize meal is a staple ingredient all over the world. In Columbia, it is used to prepare a type of flat bread or corn cake. This recipe is another take on that with a lemony topping of chicken, spring onions and fresh avocado cubes.
Ingredients
Corn cakes
250 ml (1 cup) fine yellow maize meal
pinch of salt
300 ml boiling water
5 ml (1 tsp) avocado or olive oil, plus extra for frying
Chicken
30 ml (2 tbsp) avocado or olive oil
4-6 spring onions, diagonally sliced
4 chicken breast fillets
salt and pepper to taste
10 ml (2 tsp) finely grated lemon rind
45 ml (3 tbsp) lemon juice
large handful fresh coriander leaves
2 ripe Gem® avocados, cubed
Method
1. Corn cakes: Place maize meal and salt in a bowl and pour boiling water over. Stir though to make sure there are no dry lumps. Stir in the 5 ml oil and allow to cool.
2. Heat a thin layer of oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Fry spoonfuls (about 30 ml) of the corn cake mixture on both sides until golden brown and cooked. Don’t rush the frying process, as the maize meal needs to cook. Keep warm and repeat with the remaining corn mixture.
3. Chicken: Meanwhile, heat half of the oil in another frying pan and sauté spring onions until lightly golden brown. Spoon out and set aside.
4. Add remaining oil, if necessary, and fry chicken fillets in the same pan on both sides until golden brown, but not cooked. Season to taste with salt and pepper and add lemon rind and juice.
5. Reduce the heat, cover with a lid and simmer for 5-7 minutes or until the chicken is cooked, but not dry. Spoon out, but keep the pan juices.
6. Cut the chicken into cubes and mix with the warm pan juices. Gently stir in the spring onions, coriander and avocado and season to taste. The chicken mixture can be served warm or at room temperature.
7. Spoon chicken mixture onto the warm corn cakes and serve immediately.
