INGREDIENTS

Gorditas
250 g can of creamed corn
2/3 cup polenta
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup cheese, grated

Chicken
2 whole chicken breasts, halved
1 onion, finely diced
4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 1/3 cup barbecue sauce
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
salt and pepper

Salad
cob of corn
2 tomatoes, diced
2 avocados, diced
1 red onion, diced
1 lime
handful of baby cos lettuce leaves, shredded
small bunch of coriander

TO MAKE

To make the chicken, season breasts with salt and pepper and place in a large saucepan with the chopped onion and garlic. Add just enough water to cover chicken, along with the barbecue sauce and vinegar and bring to the boil. Return to a simmer for about 15 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken from the sauce, leaving to cool slightly, before shredding with a fork.

Boil the sauce for about 30 minutes more, or until reduced to a third. Add a good grind of salt and pepper, before returning the shredded chicken to the pot and cooking for a further 15–30 minutes or until the sauce thickens and becomes sticky around the chicken. The chicken can also be prepared a day in advance and heated through to allow further stickiness to develop.

Bring a small saucepan of water to the boil and add the corn, cooking until tender. Drain and leave corn to cool, before cutting the kernels off the cob and placing in a bowl.

To make the gorditas, preheat oven to 200°C. Heat a medium-sized saucepan over medium-high heat and add the creamed corn, salt and half cup of water. Whisk in the polenta, stirring constantly, until the liquid is absorbed (about three minutes). Add in the butter and cheese, stir until melted through and remove from heat.

Grease a six-hole muffin tin and divide the corn mixture evenly, pressing it into the bottom and sides with a teaspoon to create cup shapes. Bake for about 20–25 minutes or until crispy. Leave to cool for five minutes before turning the gorditas out of the tin.

Just before serving, prepare the salsa by combining the diced red onion, tomatoes and avocados with a squeeze of lime juice.

Top the gordita cups with torn baby cos leaves, then a serving of the chicken, followed by salsa, corn and a few sprigs of coriander.