Arepas with eggs, avocado and Creole sauce

1 HOUR 20 MINUTES + RESTING | SERVES 8 | EASY

masa repa or harina pan 400g (see cook’s notes) sea salt flakes 1 tsp vegetable oil 1 tsp plus a little extra for frying or use clarified butter for frying (see cook’s notes) plain flour for dusting eggs 8 avocado 2, sliced and mixed with juice of 1 lime coriander a small bunch, leaves torn hot sauce to serve CREOLE SAUCE olive oil 2 tbsp smoked streaky bacon 4 rashers, chopped onion 1/2, finely diced green pepper 1 small, finely diced celery 1 stick, finely dicedgarlic 1 clove, crushed tomato purée 1 tbsp plum tomatoes Ω x 400g tin Worcestershire sauce 1 tbsp Tabasco a few good dashes cooked prawns 100g flat-leaf parsley chopped to make 1 tbsp

• To make the sauce, put the olive oil and streaky bacon into a cold frying pan, gradually increase the heat and cook the bacon until crisp. Add the onion, pepper and celery with a pinch of salt, and cook for 10 minutes or until soft. Add the garlic and tomato purée, and cook for another minute. Tip in the plum tomatoes, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco and some seasoning, and simmer gently until thickened. Stir in the prawns and parsley. Keep warm.

• Mix the masa repa, salt and vegetable oil with 450ml of lukewarm water. Tip onto a lightly floured worksurface and knead for a couple of minutes until smooth. Take a pinch in your hand and press it flat. If it cracks at the edges, it needs more water – it should feel pliable and soft, but not wet and sticky. Wrap with clingfilm and leave to rest for 15 minutes. Split the dough into 8 balls, and roll each on a lightly floured worksurface into 2cm thick rounds. Heat a non-stick frying pan and brush the arepas on both sides with vegetable oil or clarified butter. Cook, in batches, for 5-6 minutes on each side or until golden and crisp. Keep warm in a low oven while you cook the rest. Fry the eggs in vegetable oil to your liking.

• To serve, split the arepas and spoon in some of the Creole sauce and top with an egg. Scatter with avocado, coriander and hot sauce, if you like.

PER SERVING 418 KCALS | FAT 20.1G SATURATES 4.3G | CARBS 45.9G | SUGARS 1.5G FIBRE 2.3G | PROTEIN 12.2G | SALT 1.2G