Venezuelan Style Arepas Recipes

VENEZUELAN AREPAS

Steps:

• Pre heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Lightly grease and heat flat griddle or frying pan on medium high.
• Add water to a medium bowl.
• Dissolve sugar and salt in water. You want a mild flavor, not too salty but enough to taste it.
• Add the Harina P.A.N little by little as you mix with your hands.
• Stop adding the corn meal just before the mix becomes solid. It should be the consistency of a thick pancake batter at this stage.
• Continue to stir vigorously with your hands until the dough starts to pull away from the sides of the bowl and forms a very soft ball. Sprinkle additional corn meal into the mix if the dough doesn't firm up at all.
• Pick up the dough and slap it down back into the bowl a few times to speed up the process. Note: the dough should never become as firm as a ball of bread dough or pizza dough. There is no real kneading involved.
• When the dough forms a nice, moist ball, break off a small piece and work it in your hands rolling it into a small ball (about 1-2 inches) and then gently flattening it so it is about 3 inches across and 1/2inch tall. Note: if the dough cracks on the edges when you flatten it, it is too dry. Wet your hands and try again.
• Place the arepa on the preheated griddle and continue forming the rest in the same manner.
• Flip the arepas just before they are about to burn, when the bottom is golden brown. Allow them to brown on the other side.
• At this point the arepas are done, but for an added touch of authenticity, place the arepas into the preheated over directly onto the racks and allow them to bake for 10-15 minutes or until they puff up.
• Slice open and fill with butter, cheese, meat or anything else!

VENEZUELAN-STYLE AREPAS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
• In a large bowl, mix all of the ingredients together well, until the mixture is very smooth. Don't worry if the dough appears wet. Let the mixture rest, covered, for about 5-10 minutes, to give the cornmeal time to absorb some of the liquid.
• The dough should be smooth and easy to handle, without sticking to your hands. If the dough seems too dry, you can add a little bit more water or milk. Knead the dough for several minutes and let rest again for 5 minutes. Or if the dough is too wet to handle, add a small amount of masarepa, knead until smooth, and let the dough rest for 5 minutes more.
• Take pieces of the dough and shape them with your hands into round disks, about 2 cm thick, and 3 to 3 1/2 inches in diameter. When shaping the arepas, repair any cracks along the edges with your fingers (moistening your fingers with water will help). If the dough is cracking a lot as you shape it, knead some more liquid into the dough until it can be shaped into disks without forming large cracks.
• Lightly grease the surface of a large heavy skillet (cast iron works well) with vegetable oil and heat the skillet over medium heat. Place the arepas into the skillet in batches, and turn heat down to medium low. Cook until the arepas are lightly browned on each side, about 2-3 minutes per side. Place arepas on a cookie sheet, then place them in the preheated oven for about 8-10 minutes (to finish cooking the inside of the arepas without burning them).
• Serve warm, with butter or cheese.