Talking about “Arepa” means talking about Venezuela. This dish is part of the Venezuelan culture, it’s the best of the best breakfasts, could be excellent accompaniment of first courses in lunches and dinners.
Ingredients
- 2 ½ – 3 cups lukewarm water
- 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- 2 cups precooked white cornmeal (“harina P.A.N” brand)
- 1 teaspoon sugar (optional)
- ¼ cup vegetable oil or as needed
Preparation
- Stir water and salt together (here you can add the sugar) in a bowl and then stir cornmeal into water with your fingers until mixture forms a soft and moist dough.
- Sprinkle additional cornmeal into the mix if the dough doesn’t firm up at all. Be careful because the dough should never become as firm as a ball of bread or pizza dough.
- 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-line plate to drain until cool enough to handle.
- Slice halfway through each cake horizontally and fill with butter, cheese, meat or anything else.