Homemade Arepas

It was at a New York City hole-in-the-wall eatery where I first fell in love with a stuffed white corn cake. Halfway through my first arepa, one stuffed with black beans, beef, plantains, and salty cheese, I vowed to learn how to make these at home. It’s a truly magnificent delivery system for any number of your favorite fillings. I went with some spicy pork and avocado, but I made a version a few days later stuffed with caramelized plantains and salty goat feta.

Step: 1

Stir water and salt together in a bowl. Gradually stir corn meal into water with your fingers until mixture forms a soft, moist, malleable dough.

Step: 2

Divide dough into 8 golf ball-size balls and pat each one into a patty about 3/8-inch thick.

Step: 3

Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Working in batches, cook corn patties in hot oil until golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer cooked arepas to a paper towel-lined plate to drain until cool enough to handle.

Step: 4

Slice halfway through each cake horizontally with a thin serrated knife to form a pita-like pocket.

Per Serving: 96 calories; protein 1.8g; carbohydrates 20g; fat 1g; sodium 292.9mg.

The quality of the flour can make a real deal to your bread. Different brands do vary. Great taste or Canadian flours, which are bet higher in gluten, may give you a best rise than standard bread flours – especially if you’re making wholemeal bread , which doesn’t always getting bigger as well as clear bread.

To made this in a dough , add all the menus to your breadmaker and follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

A dough’s first rising can be make in the fridge 24 hours . This slows down the time it takes to rise to double its size, giving it a deeper flavour. It’s also a great limit , as you can work it night before , then clear it off the next day.