Heat the oil in a large pan and gently cook the onion and garlic for 10 minutes until soft. Add the cayenne pepper, split peas and the stock, bring to a boil, boil rapidly for 10 minutes then turn the heat down, add the thyme sprigs, cover and simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour until the split peas are tender, stirring occasionally.

Add the coconut milk, chilli, sweetcorn slices, potato, pepper, allspice and frozen sweetcorn. Season and simmer for 10-15 minutes until the vegetables are tender.

Remove the thyme and sweetcorn slices; using a stick blender, pulse a few times until about half of the soup is blended, you want a chunky texture so don't blend it until it is smooth. Alternatively, place half of the soup in a blender, blend until smooth then return to the pan. The soup should be quite thick but you can thin it with a little extra stock if preferred.

Return the sweetcorn to the pan, serve the soup topped with a swirl of coconut milk or sour cream and a sprinkling of thyme leaves, chilli and allspice.

Combine the masarepa and salt in a bowl, stir in the water to make a soft dough then set aside for about 20 minutes.

Divide the dough into 12 equal sized balls then use your fingers to flatten each ball into a circle about 1cm thick, the dough is quite crumbly and difficult to work with but if you find it is too dry you can add a little extra water.

Place a large, heavy frying pan over a medium heat and brush with a little vegetable oil; cook the arepas for about 5 minutes per side until lightly browned and blistered.

Cut a slit in each arepa and fill with cheese, return to the pan for a few minutes until the cheese has melted. Best served fresh.