Ingredients
Dough
- 600 gchoclo kernels, from about 5 cobs
- or 600 g tinned or frozen large-kernel corn
- 60 gmasarepa, if the mixture is loose
- 50 gbutter, melted
- 40 gsugar
- 1 teaspoonsalt
- 1egg, optional
Filling
- 300 gquesito or a mild fresh white cheese
- or a young mozzarella, sliced
To cook
- butter, for the griddle
To serve
- extra butter
- hot chocolate or coffee
Directions
- Strip the kernels off the cobs with a knife. Stand each cob upright in a bowl. Cut downward along the length of the cob. Keep that liquid, since it enriches the batter. Put the kernels into a food processor.
- Grind them into a coarse, thick paste. Do not blend them completely smooth. Add masarepa a spoonful at a time to firm it. Add it slowly, since it swells as it sits. The mixture should be spreadable but not runny.
- Stir in all of the melted butter. Add the sugar and the salt to it. Beat in the egg if you are using it. The egg helps bind a loose mixture. Taste a little and adjust the sugar. It should be clearly sweet but not like a cake. Let the mixture stand for ten minutes. Cooking them is done on a griddle.
- Heat a heavy griddle over a medium heat. The heat must be moderate rather than high. Grease the griddle lightly with butter. Spoon a mound of the mixture onto it.
- Spread it into a round with the back of the spoon. Make it about a centimetre thick. Aim for about twelve centimetres across. Let it cook for five or six minutes. Do not move it while it colours. Turn it carefully with a wide spatula. Cook the other side for four minutes.
- Lay slices of cheese over one half. Cover the pan for about one minute. Fold the empty half over the cheese. Press it down gently with the spatula.
- Cook it for another minute on each side. The cheese should be soft and stringy inside. Spread extra butter over the top. Serve hot chocolate or coffee alongside. Reheat them on a dry griddle to revive them.
Technique
- Choclo is grown across the Andes and its large starchy kernels are quite different from North American sweetcorn.
- The arepa de choclo is one of the sweetest members of the Colombian arepa family.
Substitutions
- Sweetcorn works and gives a sweeter, softer arepa, so reduce the added sugar.
- Any mild fresh melting cheese can replace quesito.
Variations
- Some stalls serve it open with cheese and butter on top.
- A savoury version leaves out the sugar entirely.
- Cachapas in Venezuela are a close relative made the same way.
History
Made from choclo, the large Andean sweet maize; a highway-stall staple on the roads linking Medellin, Bogota and Cali.
Frequently asked questions
What is Arepa de choclo?
Arepa de choclo is a bread & pastry from Colombia: sweet young-corn arepa griddled and folded around melting white cheese. Made from choclo, the large Andean sweet maize; a highway-stall staple on the roads linking Medellin, Bogota and Cali.
How long does Arepa de choclo take to make?
Arepa de choclo takes 20 minutes of preparation and 20 minutes of cooking. The recipe makes 6 arepas. It is rated easy to make.
What can I substitute in Arepa de choclo?
Yes, within limits. Sweetcorn works and gives a sweeter, softer arepa, so reduce the added sugar. Any mild fresh melting cheese can replace quesito.
What is the most important thing to get right in Arepa de choclo?
Grind them into a coarse, thick paste. Do not blend them completely smooth. Add masarepa a spoonful at a time to firm it. Add it slowly, since it swells as it sits. The mixture should be spreadable but not runny.
