Destination
Bogota
The story
Arepa de chocolo is Colombia's summer arepa: fresh sweet corn (chocolo) blitzed into a soft, slightly chunky paste with a spoon of butter, salt and a little pre-cooked corn flour to bind, spread into thick discs, cooked slowly on a hot griddle until the outside caramelises to a deep gold and the inside stays sweet and pillowy. Split open with a knife, buttered generously, stuffed with a slice of queso blanco or crumbled queso campesino. Eaten with a small cup of hot chocolate for breakfast, or a strong tinto (Colombian espresso) at 4pm.
Method
Place the corn kernels in a food processor. Blitz for 20 to 30 seconds to a chunky paste (not smooth). You want visible pieces of kernel but the mixture should hold together when squeezed.
Transfer the corn paste to a large bowl. Stir in the masarepa, softened butter, sugar if using, salt and egg. Mix well until it comes together into a soft, thick batter that holds its shape when scooped. If too wet, add a tablespoon more masarepa; if too dry, a splash of milk.
Cover and rest 5 minutes so the masarepa hydrates.
Heat a heavy non-stick pan or comal over medium heat with a small knob of butter. Scoop a heaped 3 tablespoons of batter for each arepa, drop into the pan and press down with the back of a spoon to a disc about 10cm across and 1.5cm thick. Cook 4 to 5 minutes per side, until deep gold and slightly caramelised. Work in batches; add more butter to the pan between batches.
Split each hot arepa horizontally with a serrated knife, leaving a hinge. Butter generously inside. Stuff with a slice of queso blanco. Serve immediately with hot chocolate or coffee.
Tips
- Fresh corn is best but frozen works. Peak-season fresh corn on the cob is unbeatable; frozen sweetcorn kernels defrosted and drained are a solid year-round substitute.
- Blitz coarse, not smooth. Visible pieces of kernel give the arepa its characteristic texture. A smooth purée turns into corn pancake batter, which is a different dish.
- The egg is a small non-traditional addition that helps. Some Paisa recipes skip it; ours includes a single egg because it holds the arepa together and stops it collapsing on the griddle without changing the flavour.
- Medium heat, patient cooking. High heat scorches the outside before the inside sets. Medium heat and 4 to 5 minutes per side gives you the classic deep-gold caramelised exterior with a soft, sweet middle.
- Queso blanco is the classic filling. If you can't find fresh Colombian white cheese, a mild feta or a fresh mozzarella works. Anything sharp or aged is wrong: the cheese here is meant to be mild, salty and moist.
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