Arepas - surefire way for your friends to never leave Sep 17 '07    Write an essay on this topic. Tweet The Bottom Line Four hours to my wake-up call. Dare I make these for breakfast just for myself? Nah, will probably settle for some Mango and a cup of Coffee. I had to feed my study group today. We've gone the usual Pasta route a few times (badly stains the textbooks) and had tried out new recipes. Some of them worked, some didn't and some where outright nasty. I wanted something that was quick to make, would be filling and could be eaten without the aid of silverware. The leftovers in my fridge (some chicken, shredded beef and Coconut rice) didn't add up to a meal that could feed 8 people. Then I remembered one of my Grandmother's recipes. Grandmother (don't ever call her "Grandma", travelled the world in the mid-1920s and 1930s and always could be counted on to bring back something interesting from her trips. I have a bracelet from Brazil, an enameled Brooch from Peru and a ton of recipes from all over the world. I had looked at some, made others, but the one I knew would work was the recipe for Arepas. I've made them plenty of times before, just not lately. Arepas are corncakes that are filled, folded over and then fried or baked. I tried baking, it's not the same as frying. Made from yellow cornflour (Masa Harinda), Water and Milk, they are easy to prepare. You can use white cornflour, but I haven't been able to find it anywhere, so yellow it is for me. I buy mine in the local healthfood store, but every well-sorted grocery store should carry some in the "Ethnic" food aisle. While Arepas are eaten all over South America, they are a traditional dish of Venezuela and Colombia. I'm not sure which country Grandmother brought the recipe back from. Probably Venezuela, I've never heard her talk much about Colombia. These corncakes are filled with whatever is on hand. If it's breakfast they are called Arepas Huevos and filled with egg. That's a bit tricky, because the egg is still raw and runny when you fill them, it will cook during the frying process. Traditionally Arepas are only consumed for breakfast and late at night after you get out of the bars and clubs. But I can (and will) eat them any time of the day. The recipe listed below will make about a dozen Arepas. Don't make the Patties too thin, the dough will not hold together. Don't make them too thick, you want to be able to hold the filling without falling apart. I usually make a few dozen Arepas, but don't fill all of them right away. It's okay to freeze the dough once you shape the patties. Just put Wax paper between each layer and stick them in the freezer. Unthaw them in the Refrigerator not in your kitchen. The dough will fall apart if it gets too warm. Also don't use any regular flour in this recipe, not even to coat your work surface or rolling pin (if you use one). Regular flour will make the dough too sticky and all you taste is....dough. 1 1/2 cups yellow or white corn flour 1 1/2 cups warm Water 2 tbsp Milk (Whole or 2%, try not to use Skim Milk) Pinch of Salt. I sift my flour before making these, but you really don't have to. Mix milk and Water. Put corn flour into a bowl and gradually add the water and mix it with the flour. The dough is "right" when it starts pulling away from the side of the bowl. I sometimes have water left over, depending on the temperature in my kitchen and the accuracy of my measurements. Let dough rest for about five minutes. There's not a whole lot of gluten in the corn flour, but whatever is there is what makes this stuff so great. The dough should not be sticky. It should be very smooth and not lumpy. It has about the same consistency as bread dough after the first rising. If it's sticky gradually add a little more flour. If it's crumbly add a little water, but just a few drops at a time. While the dough rests, heat some Oil (preferably Olive Oil) in a skillet to medium heat. Don't let it get too hot, the Arepas will burn. It's about right if you put a drop of water in it and it barely sizzles. Put some corn flour on your work surface and onto your hands. If you need a rolling pin, flour that one as well. I've made these so often that I don't need a rolling pin, but you might at least the first few times. Take a pinch of the Arepa dough and shape it into a 3 - 4 inch diameter circle. Try to aim for a thickness of about 1/4 inch. If they're a bit thicker that's okay, but they shouldn't be huge lumps of dough. Continue doing that until all the dough is gone. Take your filling and put it into the center of the dough. You don't need much for each Arepa. These fry quickly, so your filling should be at least room temperature. Fold the Arepa in half, so you get a half-circle shape. Kind of like a miniature Calzone. Fry the Arepas in Olive Oil on both sides until golden brown and crispy. Drain on Paper towels and serve immediately. Do not use a deep fat fryer for these. No matter what you set your temperature on they will soak up too much grease and the taste will be lost. Filling Suggestions: Egg: Put raw, beaten Eggs into the center. The egg will cook while the Arepas fry. You might want to make a few batches first before trying the egg thing. It's a bit tricky. Beef: Shredded, seasoned beef is a great filling for these. I usually also add some chopped, cooked carrots or another vegetable. Chicken: You can use chicken, but season it first with some lime juice and cilantro. If you know how to make "Aji", you can marinate the chicken quickly before using it as a filling. Cheese: One of my favorite fillings. Either combine it with the above suggested fillings or just use it by itself. It will melt beautifully during the cooking process and is delicious. I don't recommend seafood as a filling. I love fish, but not for these. Shellfish might work as a filling, but I haven't tried it yet. Serving suggestions: Arepas are great and very filling by themselves. If your crowd is very hungry, you can serve them with a seasoned rice so it becomes a real meal. I typically don't do that, but if it works for you go right ahead. I do put out some of my home-made Salsas. Salsa Verde is great, so is regular Salsa or a hot sauce or two. Pico de Gallo is also good to have on hand for these, just don't breathe on anyone after eating them that way. You can order an Arepa maker from specialty stores. They are not unlike a waffle iron. I've never seen the need to own one, making the patties is not hard work. I hope you enjoyed making and eating these. The next South American recipe you will get won't be until Christmas Time, but then you can stuff yourself with Bunuelos and Natilla. Also one of Grandmother's recipes and if I'd ever leave it out of the Christmas Menu my Kids would hurt me badly.

Read all comments (2)|Write your own comment

Write an essay on this topic.