Arepa con Huevo Recipe
Egg-filled Arepas from Colombia's Caribbean Coast
When asked what recipe Patricia McCausland-Gallo is MOST proud of, she says, “the Arepas con Huevo recipe,” (or the egg-filled savoury corn cakes). If you’ve ever savoured one of these beauties, you’ll know why. A specialty of Colombia’s Caribbean coast, arepas con huevo seem like a feat of ingenuity and engineering. Somehow, the women who make these along beach strips and sea-side town street stalls, make adding a whole, uncooked egg into the arepa dough, deep frying it and having it come out as a perfectly golden, crunchy orb with a cooked egg in the centre, seem as easy as uno, dos, très.
Try one from a road side stand where arepas are made in order to give passengers a break from the incessant bumps and dips in the road. Under a shady palm, perfectly cooked arepas con huevos appear with Colombiana or Postobon sodas on the side. It is one of the best flavour experiences around- the crunchy corn dough and the egg all commingling into one happy breakfast-like treat in the middle of the afternoon. The briny ocean air gives even a vat of hot oil a certain cachet.
Here is Patricia McCausland-Gallo’s Arepas Con Huevo recipe- it’s worth the effort!
Egg-Filled Arepa Recipe
Yield: Twelve, 6 inch arepas
Ingredients:
- 3 cups precooked white cornmeal
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 3 cups hot tape water
- 12 whole eggs
- 4 cups oil for frying
How to Prepare it:
- In a bowl, mix the cornmeal and salt with a fork. Add the water and mix with your hands for about a minute, or until you have a soft yet firm homogenous mixture; this is the arepa dough. Let it rest uncovered at room temperature for 15 minutes.
- Divide the dough into 12 equal balls, leaving a small piece of dough aside for use later in the recipe. Lay a piece of plastic wrap on the work surface, place a ball of dough in the center, cover with another piece of plastic, and with a heavy pan or pot cover flatten it until it forms an even round about 1/6-inch thick.
- Place the oil in a heavy, deep pot, and bring to a temperature of 325° F. Add the arepas one by one so that they don’t stick to each other; don’t put too many at the time. Cook for 11/2 minutes on each side and remove them very carefully with a slotted spoon so they don’t crack. They should have puffed up in the oil. Drain over paper towels on a rack with the inflated side up.
- Take scissors or a knife and cut a 1-inch opening in the edge of the arepa; go all the way in to reach the pocket of air formed on one side of it. Crack a whole egg into a small espresso cup and pour it into the arepa. Close the opening with a piece of uncooked dough, and immediately place in the hot oil again. Fry for 2 more minutes on each side. Repeat with the remaining balls of dough.
- Another way to close the arepas is to fill them with the egg, place them opening up or standing in the oil (against the pot’s side) for 10 seconds for the egg to set a bit and then let the arepa fall into the oil completely. This will prevent the egg from coming out and will seal the arepa itself.
- Drain briefly on paper towels. Serve immediately, very hot.
If you missed Pachi's tremendous Pandebono recipe- click here and enjoy!
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