Arepas de Huevo

Breakfast | Columbian

Prep time: 25 min Cook time: 15 min Servings: 4

If you haven't tried Arepas before I highly recommend it. It's like a better version of a stuffed pita pocket. This version has eggs and salsa making a great option for your next weekend breakfast cook up.

What is it?

Arepa de huevos is a Colombian street food that does something clever: deep-fry a corn dough disc until crispy, cut a pocket in it while still hot, slide a raw egg inside, seal the opening with spare dough, then fry the whole thing again. The egg cooks inside the sealed pocket. The ingredient that makes this work is Masarepa, a pre-cooked white or yellow cornmeal flour used in Colombian and Venezuelan cooking. Because the cornmeal is already cooked, it hydrates quickly into a pliable dough that holds its shape when pressed and fries without crumbling. It behaves completely differently from raw cornmeal or masa harina and there is no direct substitute.

The salsa

The Aji is the Colombian fresh salsa served alongside. It’s a simple combination of spring onion, coriander, jalapeño, tomato, white vinegar and lime juice, and it needs 30 minutes to sit before serving so the acid draws out moisture and the flavours start to meld.

Ingredient Notes

Masarepa: Pre-cooked cornmeal flour, most commonly sold under the brand P.A.N. (white or yellow). Available at supermarkets and online. Do not substitute with regular cornmeal, polenta or masa harina. Those are made from raw or nixtamalised corn and behave completely differently. Masarepa is specifically pre-cooked, which is why it hydrates into a workable dough.

Peanut oil: Used for deep frying because of its high smoke point (around 230°C/446°F) and neutral flavour. Sunflower, canola or rice bran oil are all suitable alternatives. Avoid olive oil for deep frying as its smoke point is too low for this temperature.

Jalapeño (in the Aji): Remove the seeds and white pith for a mild condiment, leave them in for more heat. The Aji is meant to be fresh and bright rather than very hot, so I deseed mine. A serrano chilli can substitute if you want a sharper, slightly hotter result. Bird’s eye chilli works but adjust the quantity down significantly as it’s much hotter.

Equipment

Large mixing bowl
Tortilla press or heavy flat-bottomed pan (for pressing arepas)
Thermometer
Deep heavy-based saucepan
Wire rack
Sharp knife

Ingredients

1 cup (150g) Masarepa (pre-cooked cornmeal, white or yellow)
1 cup (250ml) water
1 tsp sea salt
4 eggs
peanut oil, for deep frying
AJI
3 spring onions, finely sliced
1 bunch coriander (cilantro), finely chopped
1-2 Jalapenos, seeded, finely diced (depending on heat preference)
1 tbsp white vinegar
juice of 1 lime
1 tomato, finely diced

Directions

Combine the masarepa and salt in a large bowl and mix to combine.
Gradually mix in water, until mixture comes together, then form into a dough with your hands. Set aside.
For the Aji, combine spring onions, coriander, jalapeno and tomatoes in a medium bowl and season with salt. Mix well.
Stir in vinegar and lime juice, then set aside for 30 minutes to allow flavours to develop.
Reserve a small amount of arepa dough, then divide the remainder into 4 portions.
Roll each piece into a ball, then place in between 2 sheets of plastic wrap or paper.
Press down with a protein press (or heavy saucepan) until about 6mm (1/4in) thick.
Heat the oil in a heavy based saucepan over medium-high heat to 175°C (350°F).
Fry arepas in oil for 3 minutes, turning to brown evenly.
Carefully transfer to a wire rack over a tray to drain and cool enough to handle.
Using a sharp knife, slice an opening about 4cm wide on the side of each arepa, slicing through the middle without breaking through the arepa.
Crack an egg into a small bowl and carefully pour into the arepa pocket.
Using the spare dough set aside, take a small piece to patch the opening in the arepa (you may need to water the dough down a little to make it more pliable).
Return arepa back to the hot oil and cook for 3 minutes, to cook the egg. Drain arepas on the wire rack again then serve immediately with Aji.

Recipe notes

Chef Tips

Press the arepas to an even 6mm thickness

Uneven thickness means thicker parts don’t cook through in the same time as thinner ones. Place the dough between two sheets of plastic wrap and press down firmly with a heavy, flat-bottomed pan. Aim for an even disc about 6mm (¼ inch) thick. Any thicker and the centre stays dense. Any thinner and the disc is fragile and won’t hold the egg without breaking.

Seal the egg pocket firmly before the second fry

If the seal isn’t tight, hot oil gets into the arepa during the second fry and you end up with a scrambled egg inside rather than a cooked whole egg. Wet the piece of spare dough slightly with water before pressing it over the opening. Press firmly around the edges to create a proper seal, then lower the arepa into the oil carefully with the sealed side facing up for the first 30 seconds while it sets.

Storage

Arepas are best eaten immediately after the second fry while the exterior is still crispy and the egg is at the right temperature. The Aji keeps well in the fridge for up to 3 days in an airtight container. The flavour actually improves on the second day as the vinegar and lime continue to work through the vegetables.

FAQs

What if I can’t find Masarepa? Your best option is to order it online. P.A.N. brand is widely available and inexpensive. There is no substitute that gives the same result. Regular cornmeal, polenta and masa harina all behave differently and won’t produce an arepa with the right texture.

How do I know when the egg is cooked inside? The total second fry time is 3 minutes at 175°C. That’s enough to set the white while leaving the yolk with a little give. If you prefer a fully set yolk, add 1 minute to the second fry. The timing is quite reliable once your oil is at the correct temperature.

Can I bake or shallow-fry these instead of deep frying? Not really. The technique requires the arepa to be submerged in hot oil for an even, crispy exterior and for the steam generated inside to stay contained. Baking gives a dry, dense result. Shallow frying won’t produce an even crust. Deep frying is the method here, not a stylistic choice.