The Focaccia Arepa...

My latest invention: the Focaccia Arepa

Once again, relying on my inventive qualities in this vastly depleting economy, I came up with yet another way to jazz up the legacy dish my Venezuelan heritage has bequeathed me. I LOVE AREPAS. They are definitely the most versatile "bread" I have ever eaten and had the pleasure of preparing. Last time I wrote about them it was to introduce a new filling, as opposed to some of the more traditional (yet equally delicious) fillings, and to share with the general public who may not know much about the ever popular arepa.

This time I share this "new" arepa which is quite easy to make and very tasty indeed! 

To make the arepa pictured above you first need to get some Harina PAN which is quite easily found in many hispanic food markets, Asian markets or even grocery stores depending on where you live. At any rate, here is a photo of the most important ingredient you'll need:

this is the pre-cooked corn meal you'll need....

Once you have acquired this you can make the arepa pictured above. There are instructions on the package as to how you ought to prepare the dough but I will give you a base recipe here that will make you about 4-6 medium-large sized arepas. That being said, let's begin!

THE FOCACCIA AREPA

I have named this the "focaccia arepa" because that is the flavor that the addition of herbs, garlic and olive oil gave them when cooked.

Ingredients:

• Harina PAN dough, enough for 4-6 arepas
• several sprigs/bunches of the following fresh herbs, chopped: basil, tarragon, dill, thyme, chives and rosemary
• 1/2 to 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
• pinch of salt

Directions:

First, prepare the dough as directed on the package or follow these instructions: 

 In a bowl mix 2 cups the dry corn meal and the pinch of salt evenly with your hand. Add 2 and 1/4 cups 

 warm water, all the while kneading the dough making sure there are no lumps. If the dough is too sticky add 

 flour as needed in order to get smooth dough and if too dry add a little more water to get the same effect. 

When your dough is smooth, add in the chopped herbs, olive oil, and garlic powder. Knead into the smooth dough until it looks like this:

Arepa dough with herbs...

Once you've got the dough looking just as the picture above, break off sections by the handful and shape into 4-6 balls--depending on what size arepas you want. Pat and turn each in your hand until you have a half-inch thick disk in your hands that looks like this:

Arepa ready to go on the skillet...

Once you have shaped them you're ready to cook them. Make sure you have a large skillet or griddle where you can place them. Heat it to medium and lightly grease it with oil. Once it is thoroughly hot, place the arepas neatly on the griddle like so:

Make sure to space them well...

Brown the arepas on each side about 5 minutes, you want to make sure not to burn them but just let them form a nice crispy crust so turning up the heat would be a no-no.

Don't they look amazing?

They should look like this when browned on each side:

Browned on one side and working on the other...

While you are browning them, preheat your oven to about 300 to 350 degrees F. Once the arepas are done browning and the oven is warm enough, place them in the oven, either on a baking sheet or right on the rack, which is what I do (just make sure to place them over the gaps and not let them fall in--it really does take skills). Leave the arepas in there for about 10 to 15 minutes or until they sound hollow, like a little drum, when tapped. That's how you'll know they're ready! Tum-tum!

Once they are ready you can serve them up with just about anything! Eat them plain with just butter, add some cheese, scrambled eggs, ham, whatever you fancy! My dad and I had these particular ones today with just butter and fresh sliced tomato. They were exquisite and tasted just like a focaccia but made with corn meal! 

Enjoy!

How I presented my newly made wonder...

Yum!!! This is what I ate!

~Resources and Credits~

Principle photo by me, added graphics from the puglypixel

Harina P.A.N. photo from: LatinMerchant.com

Base-recipe adapted from Venezuelan Food and Drink