The night before, put the shelled corn in a pressure cooker with enough water and cook for an hour over medium heat, on a wood stove or a kitchen stove, until it is soft. Let it rest overnight.

Drain the corn well before it goes into the grinder. Wet corn gives a watery dough that will not hold together.

Pass the corn through a grinder until it becomes a dough, neither too coarse nor too fine. It tends to stick in the hopper, so help it down with a spoon rather than your fingers.

On a flat surface, work the dough into a large ball, pressing it against itself until it is very firm.

Add salt to taste and knead again.

Divide the dough into balls the size of a golf ball. Take each one between your hands and shape it into a disc with your fingers, flattening it and smoothing the edges as you turn it.

The other way is to roll the ball out on a floured surface with a rolling pin, or between two sheets of plastic, and cut a disc with an arepa mould or a plate, taking the excess dough away from the edges.

Light the wood stove or the charcoal beforehand and set a grill over it, or use a stove grill over medium heat.

Roast each arepa for about 10 minutes a side, checking often so it does not burn.

Serve them with scrambled eggs and a cup of hot chocolate.

In a large bowl, mix the cornmeal and the water and knead until you have a smooth dough with no lumps.

If the dough is too wet, add more cornmeal. Let it rest for about 5 minutes.

Shape the arepas by hand as above, or roll the dough out between two sheets of plastic and cut discs with a plate, taking the excess dough away from the edges. Then cook them on the griddle the same way.