Belizean Salbutes

Ingredients

• Shredded chicken, and chicken broth from cooking the chicken
• Masa Dough: fresh masa or you can make your own from 2 cups corn flour (Maseca is our favorite brand), and 1 1/4 cup water
• 2 balls- red recado
• 2-3 - sliced tomatoes
• 2 cups - chopped lettuce
• 2 - sliced red onions
• 1 cup - distilled white vinegar
• oil for frying - vegetable or coconut is great

Preparation

1. Shredded Chicken: cook chicken to be shredded, season with red recado. Shred with a fork, and save the chicken broth for pickling the onions.
2. Corn Dough: mix 1 red recado and water (If you have prepared masa, mix the recado directly into it by hand)
3. Corn Dough: mix recado/water mixture slowly into corn flour by hand
4. Corn Dough: knead until dough is smooth, pinch off portions and roll into balls. Allow to rest while you prepare other ingredients
5. Veggies: Slice tomatoes, chop lettuce, and slice onions place each into separate bowls
6. Quick pickled onions: Blanch onions in chicken stock, and then transfer to a bowl with white vinegar
7. Fry the Corn Dough: heat oil in frying pan
8. Fry the Corn Dough: using a tortilla press, press each corn dough into a disk
9. Fry the Corn Dough: when your oil is hot, fry each salbute, being careful not to crowd your pan, flipping when needed
10. Plate your Salbutes: On each fried corn dough, place a generous amount of shredded chicken, pickled onion, chopped lettuce and top with sliced tomatoes.
11. Enjoy!