Venezuelan arepas

Venezuelan arepas are not like Colombian arepas. Colombian arepas are bigger and thinner; I’ve seen them made outdoors on a barbecue. They both use harina P.A.N. that comes in a yellow bag. I watched my grandma’s sister, Tia Carmen, making them in Plano, Texas on January 4, 2009.

Ingredients:
Harina P.A.N. in the yellow bag
Salt
Butter
A good skillet
Toaster oven

1) Put about three inches of water in a mixing bowl, and some salt.

2) Start pouring in the harina P.A.N. little by little, using your hand to mix it. Keep pouring it in until it becomes the consistency of Play-Doh. Keep kneading it throughout.

3) Make balls. (You might need to wet your palms a little.) The balls should be about as big as your hand is cupped when your thumb is touching all four other fingers. Leave them in the mixing bowls.

4) Put a skillet on the stove and set it on high. Let it get hot.
(The skillet is key. It needs to be the right thickness and work well with your stove. If that combination doesn’t work, the arepas won’t come out right.)

5) Put butter on the skillet. You can use the diet, fake butter spray.

6) Between your palms, smash the harina balls and flatten them into little, thick pancakes, about the size of your palm. With your thumb, go over the outside edges to make them smooth.

7) Let them sit on the skillet for at least 15 minutes, turning them every once in a while. It takes a long time for them to cook. They should slowly turn brown. They should not burn at all. If they do, the skillet isn’t thick enough.

8) If you want to eat them right away, put them in the toaster oven at 150 degrees for about 5 minutes. If not, put them in the fridge, and then put them in the toaster-oven when you’re ready to eat them.

9) Slice the side with a knife. Steam should come out. Put butter, white cheese, perrico, or whatever else inside.