Arepa Time!

I'm horrible at this whole updating thing. Ah, well. I thought I'd post a recent recipe I whipped up just for the heck of it for arepas.

Arepas are round flatbreads made with corn. You can do just about anything with them. They can be fried, grilled, steamed, stuffed, topped, eaten plain, or thrown as Frisbees (joking on the last one). The recipe below is based on arepas I had at the Taste of Philadelphia food festival in July. Don’t be overwhelmed by the fact that there are several preparation processes going on in this recipe. They’re all extremely easy and the dish comes together quickly. Your mouth will be intrigued by the combination of sweet plantains, salty cheese, and smoky beans.

Drool worthy sweet plantains

Arepas with Beans and Plantains

Arepas:

2 cups Masarepa (a type of corn flour/fine corn meal- I use Goya brand)
2-3 cups warm water
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
Butter, for frying

Beans:

1 (15 oz.) can of black beans, rinsed and drained
2-3 tablespoons water
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
¼ teaspoon ground cayenne
½ teaspoon dried oregano
a dash of garlic powder

Plantains:

2 ripe plantains, sliced
2 teaspoons honey
a sliver or two of butter

Toppers:

Sliced avocado
Cotija or Queso Fresco cheese (These are crumbly Mexican cheeses- if you can’t find them at the grocery store, shredded cheddar works fine)
Salsa (optional)

Getting everything prepped

To prepare the arepa batter, in a bowl combine the Masarepa, warm water, salt and sugar. It’ll fluff up pretty quickly. (If the batter appears too dry, add more warm water). Set aside.

In a small saucepan, combine the black beans and the next seven ingredients (i.e. the beans through the garlic powder). Bring the bean mixture to a simmer. Cook for 5 min. Turn the burner off and let the mixture sit (so the flavors will meld a bit).

In a medium to large skillet, coat the bottom of the skillet with the sliver or two of butter and melt it. Add the sliced plantains, and lightly fry, stirring constantly. When they start to brown, add the honey. Continue stirring until the plantains are coated in the honey and they begin to somewhat caramelize or appear glazed. (NOTE:  A ripe plantain is key in this recipe. A ripe plantain will appear brown or brown flecked in color and will give a bit when squeezed.) Move the plantains to a bowl.

In the same skillet used to cook the plantains, melt more butter. With your hands grab about a kiwi sized amount of batter. Form a flat, round patty that is about 3-inches in diameter and slightly more than ¼-inch thick. Again, if the batter is too dry, add warm water. Repeat. Fry the arepas on each side until golden and transfer to a plate. Add more butter to the skillet, when needed.

Reheat the beans until warm, then turn off.

Place several arepas on a plate and top with the beans, plantains, crumbled cheese, avocado and salsa, if using. Viola!

 

Arepas ready for eating!