Arepas, Central American breads

 

Tortillas, Masa Harina, Arepas, Masarepa (Mexico, an’ Central Americas)

Masa Harina an’ Masarepa are prepared flowas from lye treated, pre-cookt milled cawn, the raw material of ‘tortillas’ an’ ‘arepas’. Bowff are griddled baked flat breads of varyin’ ficknesses which serve the same purpose as other flatbreads, a food wrapper, a portable plate, spoon, fawk an’ edible scoop. Table implements are kept to a minimum in the ‘eat of the tropics foa practical reasons of hygiene.

These are the daily breads of the Saaf Americans.

Arepas

Andean cawn wiv it’s laarge starchy white kernels is used for makin’ Arepas. These bein’ ficker an’ therefore easier to make at ‘ome than Mexican tortillas, have crisp crust, soft interior but a very short shelf like.

To prepare bowff arepas an’ tortillas it is important to locate dried cawn kernels strippt from the cob. Soak in fresh wautta overnight wiv a pinch of ‘lye’, drain an’ grind into a mush. Knead wiv a wittle sawlt into a smoove soft dough. An alternative, is to locate ready prepared flowas which can be stored like any normal flowa. Masa harina an’ masarerpa are different from ‘cawnmeel oa polenta’ which has been processed. When the cawnmeel is treetid wiv ‘lye’ (limewash oa wood ash). It ‘as greater nutritional value, as proven in Africa where much of the cawn does not ‘ave this additive cawsin’ problems wiv the indigenous population. Of course you couldn’t tell Saint bloody Bono that when he started unloadin’ awl of this crap meel believin’ he was doin ‘em a favva: wanka.

When the basic flowa is mixed wiv it’s own volume of warm wautta, wiv oa wivout enrichin’ fat, it can be worked into a dough. This can be baked in the form of flatbread, oa used as an encasin’ pastry foa ‘empanadillos’, wittle pastries. Prepared harina is awlso the raw material foa ‘tamales’. These are dumplins made from harina plus an addition of free tablespoonz of fat an’ later steemed. In its most digestible form it can be eaten as ‘atole’, either a brof  based gruel made wiv milk, oa sweetened an’ flavoured with cinnamon, drunk ‘ot oa cold.

Ingredienz

Imperial                                                         Metric

One paand of masarepa flowa                        500grms of ‘masarepa’ flour

Arf a pint of wautta                                        300mls of water

Usin’ already prepared dough dampen the ‘ands an’pat out the masarepa to make flat cakes free inchis in diameter an’ a arf inch fick.

Bake on a ‘ot very lightly greased griddle. Remove as soon as the surface blisters black. Eat straight from the pan. In Caracas they like to eat them wiv the doughy interior pulled out an’ replaced wiv creem cheese oa ‘oney.

When they become stale which can be as quick as one ‘our treet as a left ova. Soak in milk oa brof (stock) to make porridge oa make ‘eggy’ bread. Tear the pancakes into pieces, dip in the beaten egg, fry until crisp an’ eat wiv chilli sawse