AREPAS
Copyright © by Norman Van Aken, 2013
Yield: 15-16 (3 inch) arepas
Arepas are rich, cheese-topped cornmeal cakes and wonderful in a rather hedonistic way, though you might not know it if your only prior experience of them comes from Latin American street fairs and carnivals. I adore these cakes and look for all manner of ways in which to use them. Try them with a lean bowl of chicken soup or Sopa de Pavo (page 71), or a bowl of chili.
Arepa flour, also called masarepa, harina de pan, and areparina is finely ground precooked white cornmeal, available in Latin American markets.
1 1/2 cups milk
1/3 cup (5 1/3 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted, plus about 2 tablespoons for sautéing the cheese
1 1/2 cups arepa flour
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
Canola oil for panfrying
10 ounces queso blanco, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
Pour the milk into a medium saucepan, add the butter, and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat.
When the milk is just warm enough for you to touch, put the flour and salt in a medium bowl and add a little of the warm milk. Knead briefly, then add some more milk and knead again, continuing the process until all the milk is incorporated and you have a smooth dough. Cover the dough with a damp cloth and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes.
Place a small bowl of water by your work surface. Pull off large pieces of dough and roll into balls approximately 1 1/2 inches across; keep shaped balls covered with the damp cloth as you work. Flatten each ball into a disk about 1/4 inch thick, dipping your fingers in the bowl of water and smoothing the frayed edges of the disks as you go. Place on a baking sheet and cover with a damp cloth until ready to cook.
In a large nonstick sauté pan, heat just enough canola oil to cover the bottom of the pan and heat over medium heat until hot. Cook the disks, in batches, turning once, until golden and crisp. Drain on paper towels.
Wipe out the pan and add just enough butter to coat the bottom. Sauté the cheese slices, in batches, turning once, until golden brown on both sides. Lay each slice atop an arepa, and serve immediately.
