Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 cup masarepa (special cornmeal for making arepas)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup hot water
- 1 tablespoon melted butter
- 4 eggs
- Vegetable oil for frying
Preparation:
- Mix the masarepa with the salt. Add the hot water and the melted butter and mix well. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 10 minutes.
- Reserve 2 tablespoons of dough. Divide the remaining dough into 4 pieces, and roll each piece into a smooth ball.
- Place one ball between 2 small ziplock bags, or 2 pieces of plastic wrap. Flatten the ball with the bottom of a heavy pan or skillet until it is about 3-4 inches in diameter and about 1/3 inch thick. You can neaten the edges of the circle with your fingers.
- Heat about an inch of oil in a heavy skillet on medium heat, just hot enough so that a piece of dough sizzles gently.
- Fry the arepas for a couple of minutes on each side, until golden.
- Remove from heat onto a paper towel lined plate.
- When the arepas are cool enough to handle, slice into the side of the arepa with a thin sharp knife in the same way you would split open an english muffin. Hollow out a space in the arepa without slicing all the way through.
- Crack an egg into a small ramekin. Pour the egg into the hollowed out arepa. Seal the opening with some of the reserved dough.
- Return the arepa to the hot oil and fry for 2-4 minutes more. Cook the arepa less if you like a runny egg, and more if you prefer the egg to be more well done.
- Remove from heat, season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve warm.
Makes 4 arepas con huevo.
