我t's not only nostalgia that makes me lovearepas;这也是他们的多才多艺!这些corncakeshugely popular in many forms in my native Colombia and neighboring Venezuela (among other places) and have now actually caught on in many parts of the United States. What makes them especially wonderful is that they offer cooks fabulous flexibility as far as preparation. So here I'm giving you my basic recipe—and a serving suggestion—but please know you can add whatever you'd like (grilled corn, diced peppers, different cheeses, just to name a few possibilities).
Here I'm suggesting that you smear a bit of farmer's cheese—or Mexicanqueso blanco—on top. Great as an appetizer, thesearepasare perfect with any cocktail!
我ngredients
4 servings
Step 1
我n a blender, process the corn kernels and chicken stock until smooth. Pour the cornmeal into a large bowl. Stir in the sugar and sour cream. Pour in the chicken stock and corn mixture while stirring with your hands or a wooden spoon. Add the grated cheese. Form mixture into a ball. Then separate into 8 pieces. Roll each piece into a ball and then flatten into a pancake about 1/4-inch thick and 2 inches in diameter (but rub your fingers around the edge so that it maintains its thickness). At this point you can cover thearepaswith a damp kitchen towel and refrigerate them for up to 1 day before grilling.
Step 2
Light a fire in a charcoal or gas grill. Brush thearepaslightly with the melted butter (for flavor and to prevent sticking). Grill thearepasuntil golden, about 3 minutes on each side. They should be toasted on the outside, but soft in the middle. Let cool to room temperature. Before serving, top with a spread of the farmer's cheese.
How would you rate Grilled Arepas with Farmer's Cheese (or Queso Blanco)?
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Reviews (11)
Back to TopServed these for the family tonight as a side with grilled AK sockeye salmon, mango salsa, and grilled sweet corn. Very tasty with a dollop of sour cream (no farmer's cheese). I will follow some of the reader suggestions next time and eliminate the sugar (plenty sweet with the pureed corn - reminded me of Bobby Flay's tamales) and try a bit of salt and baking powder to lighten them up. I'd also be curious how replacing some of the broth (I used veg instead of chicken) with milk would work, as I've seen in other recipes. Good result on the first effort, though.
thinkandbefree
WI
7/10/2014
我'm not sure what the deal was with my result. I used "Maseca instant corn masa flour" and my dough was pretty wet. I added another 1/4 cup to make it more manageable but it was still pretty sticky. Tried making one in a skillet with butter to see if it was worth attempting on the grill. Brown on the outside, but doughy on the inside - or cheesy? I don't know... Not sure if this is how they are supposed to be or not. I saw them being sold at a street market in NYC. Wish I'd tried them there so I'd have a reference point.
Anonymous
6/18/2010
This was so easy and delicious! I'll try it with water instead of the broth next time - I think I might like it even better with a purer corn taste.
flmste
5/24/2010
The corn used in traditional Latin American dishes is not the very sweet corn hybrids typically eaten in the USA and Canada. It is a tough and starchy corn with little sugar content. That makes it ideal for use as a flour like product, such as for making tortillas, arepas etc. Some of you may know it as feed corn or cow corn as it is more commonly used as such anywhere north of Mexico. In my opinion, that is a tremendous loss for the north as the starchy corns offer all kinds of creativity in cooking, not the least of which is as a replacement for wheat flour. As the writer says, this is a very basic recipe. You can be as creative with this recipe as you are with crepes, latkas, pirogies, fritters or any starch based dished (muffins even?). Just be wary of the calories.
Semalu
Mexico via Canada
5/22/2010
FYI, there's a special kind of cornmeal called masarepa. I found Goya brand in my supermarket, but I've heard that some have a hard time finding it. THAT'S the traditional arepa cornmeal (probably pre-cooked/akin to instant).
Anonymous
5/22/2010
@ A Cook: One of two things happened; either your stock was not hot enough or you did not use INSTANT cornmeal. I look forward to trying this recipe. After reading the comments, I will cutdown on the sugar and add a pinch of salt.
barbjhanson321
New Jersey
5/21/2010
我have travel to the areas of the world that Arepas. A lack of salt is prevalent. I find that the North American palette prefers some salt and the better Arepa recipes also include a little baking powder for a less dense. It works as I have made them many times with mt friend from Bolivia. The addition of corn kernels and chicken stock are a nice touch in this recipe, but the salt and baking powder do also help and make this recipe a KEEPER.
ypbranch
Mobile, AL
5/20/2010
What did I do wrong? I made these and they ended up soupy and awful! I tried baking them and they turned into hard corn discs? How did I fail this?
Anonymous
5/17/2010
These were excellent for how easy they are to make... I'd agree that they are a bit sweet, but I liked them that way. Also could be because I used sweet corn. I don't have a grill, so I just made them in a pan with a little butter. They turned out great. I'm making them again tonight... the only thing I may change is to up the amount of manchego I use...
sdenzer
5/15/2010
我made this recipe last night. It was very easy and quick. The only thing I could have done without was the sugar. The arepas turned out very sweet. Next time I ame this, I'll skip the sugar. I top them with lettuce, a bit of cream and the farmer's cheese.
Gigi08
5/14/2010
我made this recipe last night. It was quite easy to make. The only thing I could have done without was the sugar. the arepas turned out very sweet. Next time I make these, I'll skip the sugar. I top them with lettuce, some cream and the cheese.
Gigi08
5/14/2010
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