Arepas ariba!
/Hello my loves,
I made something very indulgent, very delicious, and very easy this week. Something so comforting and moreish and do-able that I’d be an ass not to share it with you. And if there’s one thing I try really hard not to be, it’s an ass. So my darlings, let’s go there: on Wednesday, I made arepas. Arepas are a South American delight made of flour from ground corn. They’re delightful little disks of carb-laden goodness that are moreishly dense and achingly soft at the same time, and can be stuffed with whatever you please. Pulled meats, spicy fish, cheese or black beans: it’s really up to you. And they’re very easy to make.
On Wednesday evening, my arepa craving struck late. It was 6.25pm, plenty of time to whip some up, but definitely not enough time to faff about with meaty fillings that require time to infuse flavour. But I wanted arepas. I needed arepas. So I turned to the fridge for the answer. Foraging two cheeses, some sour cream and a jar of jalapeños from the fridge, I chucked everything in a pot to see what would happen. I do this a lot. Sometimes the answer is that those things should never be in a pot together again. Sometimes the answer is that some of those things should be in a pot together again, but maybe with some other things too. And sometimes the answer is GOOD GOD MY OWN GENIUS ASTONISHES ME. On Wednesday night, it was the latter that eventuated. The cheeses melted through the sour cream, creating oozing, dripping cheesy heaven, studded with pops of spicy-sour jalapeno. Deftly slicing my hot arepas in half, I spooned in lashings of dripping cheese, ferried them to the table, and chomped. Groans of delight ensued as soft, hot dough danced with warm melty cheese in my mouth. They really were very good.
So, if you’re up for some South American fun in the kitchen this weekend, I present to you my recipe for arepas with gooey cheese and jalapeno. It’s eminently doable, and would be a great one to make with the kids. You definitely do need the right type of corn flour – beware, this is not what we call ‘cornflour’ here in Australia. It’s something different altogether, a fundamental of Central and South American cuisine. There are a few different types, and for arepas you need this one, white maize flour, which is readily available online, in Latin American grocers, in the international aisle of your supermarket, or possibly even at Harris Farm. The type of flour matters, so it’s worth finding the yellow pack of PAN. I believe that the orange pack of PAN can also be used, but I have not tried this myself.
A final warning: arepas are not beautiful. They don’t need to be. Their deliciousness speaks for itself. So dive in my darlings, and whip yourself up some arepas to see you through this chilly autumn weekend. I can guarantee I’ll be making a second batch. Arepas ariba!*
Arepas with gooey cheese and jalapeno
Makes 6 large arepas
Ingredients
For the arepas
2 ½ cups arepa flour
2 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
A little vegetable oil for frying
For the cheese filling
1 ½ cups grated hard cheese (a sharp cheddar would work well)
Two thirds of a cup (about 50g) grated ricotta salata, or firm-style feta
¾ cup sour cream
1-2 tablespoons chopped jalapeno (the ones in jars)
A pinch of salt
Heat your oven to 210C. For the arepas, mix the water and salt in a bowl. Gradually stir in the arepa flour. Knead briefly to form a dough, then rest for five minutes. Divide the dough into six portions and use your hands to form each into a disk about 1cm thick. Heat a little vege oil in a large frypan, and cook the arepas on a medium heat for five minutes on each side, until crispy and golden. You may need to do this in batches depending on the size of your frypan. Place the arepas in the oven and bake for 10 minutes.
For the cheese filling, place all ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to the boil, stirring frequently until everything has combined. Slice your hot arepas through the middle, stopping short of cutting them totally in half. Stuff them with the cheese sauce, and devour them in bliss.
Love, Rachel xxx
* This essentially means ‘yayyy arepas!’.
