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Arepas de Choclo With Avocado Salad
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- Total Time
- 45 minutes
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
- 1cup corn kernels (fresh or frozen, thawed)
- 1cup precooked yellow cornmeal, such as masarepa or instant polenta (see Tip)
- 1cup quesito or whole-milk ricotta
- ½cup grated Manchego or Parmesan (2 ounces)
- ¼cup all-purpose flour
- 3tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1teaspoon baking powder
- 1teaspoon kosher salt (Diamond Crystal)
- ¾cup whole or 2 percent milk
- 3tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus 3 tablespoons for frying
- 2medium Hass avocados, pitted, peeled and cubed
- 2cups halved cherry tomatoes
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- ½cup torn fresh cilantro, for garnish
- ½cup crumbled quesito or queso fresco, for garnish (optional)
For the Arepas
For the Avocado Salad
Preparation
- Step 1
In a food processor, process corn until kernels break down and mixture is smooth. Transfer ground corn into a large bowl, and add cornmeal, quesito, Manchego, flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Using a wooden spoon, combine ingredients. Stir in milk and 3 tablespoons melted butter until just combined. Let the batter rest for 10 to 15 minutes to allow cornmeal to absorb the liquid.
- Step 2
While the batter rests, make the avocado salad: In a medium bowl, combine avocado and tomatoes. Add lemon juice and oil, and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Step 3
Heat a large cast-iron skillet or griddle over medium-high. Melt 1 tablespoon butter until bubbles form. Scoop about ½ cup of batter onto the skillet or griddle, and, with the back of a spoon or offset spatula, spread batter into 4- to 5-inch rounds. Depending on the size of your skillet, repeat with batter, frying 2 arepas at a time. Do not crowd the pan. Cook until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer arepas to a paper towel-lined plate and tent foil on top to keep warm. Repeat with the remaining batter, adding more butter as needed. Reduce heat if pan is getting too hot.
- Step 4
Top arepas with avocado salad. Garnish with cilantro and quesito, and serve immediately.
- If you can’t find masarepa, don’t use regular cornmeal, which can make the batter too runny. Instant polenta, which is precooked polenta that’s been dehydrated into a powder, makes a good substitute. Make sure the ingredients list precooked cornmeal (or corn flour) on the label, and then use the dry meal in the recipe, no need to cook it first.
Private Notes
Cooking Notes
Made these last night and although I reduced the amount of sugar to 2 tablespoons instead of 3, they were still a bit too sweet form my taste. Next time I will reduce the sugar to 1 T and add more cheese to make it a bit more savory. Topped them with a slice of ham and a fried egg. Breakfast for dinner!
Could you make the arepa batter in advance, and how long would it keep in the fridge?
Used lime juice instead of lemon, added a seeded jalapeño to the batter. Divine.
When making arpeas I prefer Donarepa brand masarepa which is a finer grind than the one mentioned. I sometimes mix the yellow and white masarepa. I also use an electric arpea maker which makes 4 arpeas at a time (ones which make 8 or more are avaliable. They are best when served right away.
Has anyone tried these with regular cornmeal? I don't want to buy one ingredient for one dish that will languish in my pantry until expiration.
I’ve had it keep for a couple of days, with Pan Arepa being the flour product used
Colombiano can be compared to Mexican Queso Fresco, and is made by simply processing the curds of cow’s milk. The result is a creamy, soft and white cheese. We Colombians love our Quesito and it is widely used in Colombian cuisine. You will often find it in Colombian recipes, as a side dish for Colombian desserts, and as an arepa topping for a traditional every day breakfast. https://www.mycolombianrecipes.com/quesito-colombiano-colombian-fresh-cheese/
Followed recipe carefully but made them too thick. So it was more mushy than crispy. The Back of Mesarepas flour says make arepas a half inch thick which is a better guideline. Salsa terrific.
For GF I’d suggest chickpea (gram) flour. Perfect for this kind of dish
Instant polenta, like instant rice, is parcooked and then dried so that it cooks up faster at home. If you can't find masarepa, that's what you're seeking as a replacement.
These turned out great (after adding a few more splashes of milk to hold the batter together) -- much more successful than any other arepa recipe I've tried, and the best I've had since visiting Bogota. Note: they were not done after cooking 2-3 minutes on each side. Mine took much longer, but they were worth the wait!
The worst day of my life was the day my Dad died. The second worst? The day I realized he took all his recipes, including the one for arepas, to his grave. I'll definitely try this recipe!
to the person asking if you can make it in advance - might lose some rise from your baking powder (1 bit when liquid hits it, another when heat hits it)... but should be ok (not optimal) if you do so. Maybe a couple hours. I personally, would not do it more in advance than that.
DELICIOUS. Added no sugar, per other reviews and because I thought the corn would be enough, and I was right. Added an extra avocado to go with the extra juice in my lemon. So much that could be done with the arepas I make in the future: smoked paprika, green onions, cilantro, serve with black beans….
I don't believe there's any yeast in baking powder. Yeast is a living organism and its breathing is how/why it makes things rise. Baking powder is a mixture of baking soda, cream of tartar (a dry acid), and sometimes cornstarch. It works by releasing carbon dioxide gas into a batter or dough through an acid–base reaction, causing bubbles in the wet mixture to expand and thus leavening the mixture.
Followed the advice I read here and used diner ground corn meal, warmed the milk before adding, and decreased sugar to 1 tbsp. Cooked on my cast iron griddle. Absolutely delicious!!
This recipe is a hot mess, literally. Add a full cup of flour (or half flour, half semolina) or the batter pools into a wet, spattering sprawl that can’t be flipped or even adheres as a pancake. And yes I rested the batter and followed the ingredients and method to a T.
If you can’t find masarepa, you can use 3/4 cup masa harina, 1/8 cup almond flour, and 1/8 cup potato starch as a replacement and they’re delicious!
I couldn't find masarepa or instant polenta, so I subbed in 2/3 cup of masa harina, and they still came out great! I also agree with commenters that 3 Tbsp sugar made them a tad too sweet. I would try 4 tsp sugar next time.
Tested 1/2 batch, before making them for company tonight. Google found a Latin market just three miles from home, with myriad choices for precooked cornmeal! I used ricotta and Parmesan, but found them very bland; for tonight, I will use manchego and finely chopped jalapeño. (No sugar.) May try lime juice in the salad, and parsley and fresh basil instead of cilantro. My big pancake griddle will be perfect for cooking the whole batch at once. Serving as starch and vegetable with grilled sausages.
Used masks Hadrian, omitted sugar. Ridiculously good.
Agree with others who are saying this recipe is quite sweet. I would cut the sugar in about a third since corn is already sweet itself. I found it also really grainy! Probably have to check the coarse-ness of the polenta, though I didn’t see any guidance on that. We made a small batch that didn’t turn out great (kind of falling apart) so we put the next batch in the fridge before frying them, which was helpful.
Excellent summer meal. I read the notes and reduced the sugar to 2 Tb and used a lime rather than a lemon. Delicious!
Delicious! I cheated and bought guacamole and just doctored it with cherry tomatoes, lime, olive oil and fresh cilantro. I added one seeded jalapeño to the batter and reduced sugar to 1 tablespoon. Family loved it.
Made this on the spur of the moment without reading the ingredient list, because I’d just picked up a bag of masarepa at Super G Mart after a delicious demo. Of course I did not have any ricotta! So I used cottage cheese (and Parmesan). The whole thing came together perfectly, not too liquidy! I just rolled the dough out fairly thinly between two pieces of parchment paper and used a glass to cut rounds like biscuits. Absolutely yummy. Left overs were good for breakfast, toasted.
I had a big failure with these. The arepas didn't hold together. I think it is the polenta I used. Can someone who has made these successfully let me know what you used? Thank you!
Yummm. I used instant polenta tube from Trader Joes and the batter was too liquidy- should have reduced the milk to account for the moisture in that kind of polenta.
You might try lime juice instead of lemon juice.
Unrelated to the recipe- I love it when Sam Sifton recommends books, he mentions heading out to a bookstore (not buying online) Love, an independent bookseller
Goya also makes Masarepa and is available in the Goya section of supermarkets in my upstate NY area....
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