AREPA, COLOMBIA: This sandwich is all about the bread. Arepa, a typical Colombian delicacy with roots in indigenous cooking, is a small cornbread.
The most popular recipe is arepa de queso (with cheese), but there are
many other variations, including arepa de huevo (with eggs) or rellenas
(with meat).

MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.06

Title: Arepas
Categories: Five, Breads
Yield: 6 Arepas

2 c Warm water
1 ts (heaped) sea salt
2 c Areparina *
1 tb Avocado or coconut oil for
- cooking (if avoiding oil,
- just omit and be sure your
- pan is non-stick)

* a.k.a. masarepa - not cornmeal or masa harina // we
mixed white and yellow from PAN and GOYA brands - see
notes for masa harina modification.

Set oven @ 350ºF/175ºC.

Set out a baking sheet and line with parchment paper.
And to a large mixing bowl, add water and salt. Stir to
combine and dissolve salt.

A little at a time, add the areparina and stir with a
whisk or your hands (our preferred method). You may work
your way all the way up to two cups, although we
typically have 1-2 Tbsp leftover. You’re looking for a
dough that doesn’t easily stick to your hands, is
moldable and moist, and can be rolled into a ball. Once
you have that consistency, cover with a towel for 5
minutes. We did mix both white and yellow areparina as
inspired by Teote (optional).

Uncover, grab a large handful of dough, and roll into a
ball (as the recipe is written, our batch made 6 large
arepas, but it could also make 8-10 smaller arepas).

Carefully press the ball between the palms of your hands
to form into a roughly 1/2-inch thick disc (for thinner,
crispier arepas, press closer to 1/4 inch). If it cracks
a lot on the sides, your dough may need 1-2 (15-30 ml)
more water. A little cracking is OK - just use your
hands to close the cracks by gently patting along the
edges.

Once the arepas are formed, heat a large cast-iron or
non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add a
little oil and swirl to coat. Then add arepas, giving
them a little room in between so they don’t touch. Cook
for 2-3 minutes or until deep golden brown (a few
blackened spots are OK). You’re looking to form a crust.
Then flip and cook for 2-3 minutes more or until the
underside is also browned.

Transfer to your parchment-lined baking sheet and bake
for 15-18 minutes or until slightly puffed up and a
little more golden brown in color. Some people like to
slice into them immediately, but I find they can be a
little doughy in the middle at that stage, so I prefer
to let them cool for 5-10 minutes and serve while
they’re warm but not piping hot.

To enjoy, slice in half and enjoy as is, spread both
sides with butter and a little maple syrup (YUM), or cut
the arepa 3/4 of the way around, leaving a seam on the
edge so you can "stuff" it like a pita. Fillings could
include everything from black beans to rice to guacamole
or even our Barbacoa!

Best when fresh. Store leftovers covered in the
refrigerator up to 3-4 days or in the freezer up to 1
month (cooked or uncooked). Reheat in a 350ºF/175ºC
oven until warmed through. If reheating frozen uncooked
arepas, I’d recommend letting them thaw first and
cooking them as instructed.

NOTES: If you don’t have masarepa, Simply sub the full
amount of masarepa (2 cups as the original recipe is
written) for 1 1/2 cups masa harina (works far better
than cornmeal, but cornmeal can also work), 1/4 cup
coconut flour (almond flour may also work), and 1/4 cup
gluten-free flour or arrowroot starch (potato starch may
also work). I also like adding ~1 tsp baking powder when
I add in the flours for some rise. Add more gluten-free
flour or arrowroot starch as needed until the dough is
moldable and not tacky or crumbly. Proceed with the
recipe as instructed.

RECIPE FROM: https://minimalistbaker.com

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