Colombian Corn and Cheese Arepas
Updated March 2, 2020
- Total Time
- 1 hour
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 3cups (about 1 pound) precooked white corn flour, like harina P.A.N.
- 2tablespoons sugar
- 5tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1½pounds soft fresh cheese like queso blanco or queso fresco (or mozzarella) coarsely grated (about 4 cups, well packed)
- 8ounces aged cow’s-milk cheese, preferably Mexican cotija (or Manchego or Parmesan), coarsely grated (about 2 cups)
- 1½teaspoons salt
Nutritional analysis per serving (11 servings)
472 calories; 28 grams fat; 16 grams saturated fat; 1 gram trans fat; 8 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 36 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 3 grams sugars; 20 grams protein; 727 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Combine the flour and sugar in a large bowl. Gradually add 3 cups warm water, mixing with your fingers, then work in 4 tablespoons of the butter. Knead to a soft dough.
- Step 2
One cup at a time, knead in the cheese. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons more water if the mixture seems dry. Taste the dough (some cheeses are very salty), then knead in salt to taste, ½ teaspoon at a time. Continue kneading until the dough feels soft and smooth, with no lumps. Set aside to rest for at least 15 minutes, covered with a damp cloth.
- Step 3
Heat the broiler or a grill over high heat. Divide dough into 11 portions, roughly 5 ounces or ½ cup each. Roll into balls between your palms and set aside on a tray covered with a damp kitchen towel. Flatten each ball into a thick circle, 3½ inches in diameter, flat on both sides. Return to tray and keep covered.
- Step 4
Line broiler or grill rack with aluminum foil and brush foil lightly with remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Arrange arepas on foil and cook about 4 inches from the heat source, turning once, until both sides are golden brown and speckled — about 10 minutes per side. Serve immediately, for breakfast (like corn muffins) or as an accompaniment to soups or stews (like corn bread).
Private Notes
Comments
well, to be fair, the recipe asks for two kinds of cheese, and for the second cheese, cotija is clearly the first choice and Parmesan is the third choice. I think the Times is trying to make the recipes adaptable for people who live far from a store that might carry queso fresco or cotija (I used to live in such an area so I am somewhat sympathetic)
Arepas with parmesan may well be the most NYT crossover recipe ever
What a disaster! I'm not sure why - maybe because I substituted different cheese (fontina, cheddar and parmesan) or maybe my pan was too close to the flame? In any case, the first 9 tops turned black before flipping and stuck to the spatula when I tried to turn them. I had to scrape the spatula with a knife and reshape before cooking second side. When I cooked the last three, they caught fire (very dramatic). I think I will make these again but only use a griddle. Sigh!
I use a Mexican cheese blend (cheddar, etc). Works great and kids LOVE them. Have never put sugar in mine - that is not traditional to my knowledge.
The arepas were a great hit! The one thing I would change is to reduce the amount of sugar and increase salt a little.
These are delicious. I’m new to arepas. I expected these to be more of a bread (something I could make a sandwich out of), but they’re not. They’re tender and soft inside. We enjoyed some with a salad, some with a fried egg, and the rest sweetened with apples and honey butter.
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