Venezuelan Arepas

Ingredients

• Cornmeal2 cups
• Water2 1/2 cups
• Salt1 tsp
• Vegetable Oil1 tablespoon

Directions

1. 1

   Preheat oven to 410° F.

2. 2

   Pour the water into a large bowl. Make sure it is room temperature.

3. 3

   Add the salt. Blend well with a mixer, fork or spatula to make sure it dissolves well.

4. 4

   While you continue to beat the mixture, slowly add the corn meal—a little bit at a time.

5. 5

   Once all the flour is added, keep mixing until the corn meal, water and salt are thoroughly blended and dissolved.

6. 6

   Set aside the masa in its bowl. Let it rest for 5 minutes so that the flour is thoroughly hydrated. This type of corn flour does not have any gluten, so it doesn’t need to be kneaded. The masa should be smooth, firm yet malleable.

7. 7

   While waiting for the 5 minutes’ rest, heat your budare (or comal, griddle, cast-iron pan or non-stick pan) over medium heat. Coat with a little bit of the oil.

8. 8

   Fill a small bowl with water to wet your hands to make the arepas.

9. 9

   Take about 2 Tbsp of the masa in your damp hands. The masa should fit easily in your palm so that it is easy to shape into a small ball.

10. 10

    Cross your hands, so that one is on top of the other, with the masa ball between them. Rotate your right hand in a circle, so that you are at the same time both pressing the masa into a flat disc and keeping its round shape.