Turkey Arepas with Cranberry Salsa

If you’re looking for something different to do with Thanksgiving leftovers, why not make arepas? Now I have to admit, I was visiting relatives for Thanksgiving so I didn’t actually have leftovers, so I had to cook up the turkey and gravy just for this. I’ve included the recipe for that as well.

Serves 2 (with some leftover salsa)

Turkey and Gravy:

2 turkey thighs

2 tbsp flour

2 cups chicken stock

1 small shallot

1 sprig rosemary

½ carrot

½ celery stalk

Salt

Pepper

Season the turkey thighs with salt and roast at 425°F for 40 to 45 minutes. Pour the drippings from the pan into a small saucepan, and remove the bone from one of the thighs.

Add the flour to the drippings, whisking to create a roux. Cook for 2 minutes, whisking often. Slowly add the chicken stock, whisking to incorporate. Add the thigh bone, shallot, rosemary sprig, carrot and celery piece. Bring to a simmer, and cook for 10 to 15 minutes until it reaches the desired consistency.

While that’s going on, remove the skin from the turkey thighs and shred the meat.

Pour the finished gravy through a strainer into a bowl to remove the solids. Season with salt and pepper.

Cranberry Salsa:

1.5 cups fresh or frozen cranberries

½ apple, peeled and cored

Zest of 1 orange

4 tbsp sugar

1 serrano chili, deseeded and diced

2 tbsp cilantro, chopped

Salt

Lime juice

Add the cranberries and apple to a food processor and pulse until finely shredded.  Add to a bowl with the orange zest, sugar and chili pepper. Let the salsa macerate for 15 minutes, then add the cilantro, along with salt and lime juice to taste.

Arepas:

1.5 cups masarepa flour

1.5 cups water

1 teaspoon salt

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl, bring the dough together with your hands, then cover and let sit for 5 minutes. Heat a skillet over medium, and add a lug or two of vegetable oil. Use your hands to shape the dough into six slim discs (3/4” or so thick) Pan fry the arepas for 8 minutes total, flipping half way.

Remove to a paper towel to sop up any excess oil. Cut in half and fill with turkey, gravy and cranberry salsa.

Tacos de Pabellon Criollo with Jicama Slaw

Pabellon is the national dish of Venezuela, so putting it on a taco is probably sacrilege to many, but I like to live dangerously. This version comes from Gran Cocina Latina, and is a bit different than what I’ve had before. The Venezuelan food truck down the street from my office was where I first had this dish, with long stringy strands of tangy braised beef. I don’t know their recipe, but I assume they do a typical braise; this recipe uses flank steak, which is boiled and then shredded before being “quick-braised” (if that’s a word). Since that thing about pabellon that really struck me was the tangy flavor imparted with the beef, I decided to double down on that characteristic and serve it with a Jicama slaw, which is adapted from http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/bobby-flay/jicama-slaw-recipe/index.html

A note on oil: This recipe calls for achiote-infused corn oil. This can be made by adding annatto seeds (they look like little red rocks and can be found at Mexican groceries) to corn oil in a small saucepan and heating for a few minutes until infused. Strain out the solid seeds and discard. The book calls for ¾ cup to be added to the pan before frying the beef, and doesn’t mention discarding excess oil after this step. This seemed off to me, so I reduced the oil by a good bit, but still added more than I normally would (I guess on the off chance that there was some reason I was missing for using this much oil). The result ended up on the greasy side, so in the future I’ll just be adding a bit of oil and sautéing the beef.

Jicama Slaw:

1 Jicama, Grated

½ head of napa cabbage, grated

2 carrots, grated

¼ lemon juice

¼ cup lime juice

2 tbsp cider vinegar

1 tbsp brown sugar

1.5 tbsp ancho chili powder

1 tsp cumin

Pinch cayenne

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

¼ cup canola oil

Salt and pepper

Grate the jicama, napa cabbage and carrots and add to a bowl. I used a food processor to save time. In a separate bowl/pyrex measuring cup, add the lemon juice, lime juice, cider vinegar, brown sugar, ancho chili powder, cumin and cayenne (phew). Slowly pour in the olive and canola oil, whisking to incorporate. Season with salt and pepper, and pour over veggies. Let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes before serving.

Pabellon Criollo

2 lbs flank steak

1 large yellow onion

1 red bell pepper, deseeded

1 tablespoon black peppercorns

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

Salt

Cut the flank steak into sections approx. 2 inches wide. Add 2 quarts of water to a dutch oven, along with steak, onion, pepper, black peppercorns, cumin, oregano and red wine vinegar. Season with salt as needed. Bring to simmer and cook for 2 hours. Remove meat, strain broth and reserve. Shred the meat with 2 forks into thin pieces.

Achiote infused corn oil (see note in introduction)

1.5 teaspoons salt, or to taste

8 cloves garlic, finely diced

1 medium yellow onion, finely diced (1.5 cups)

1 red bell pepper cut into ¼” strips

1 teaspoon cracked black pepper

¼ teaspoon cumin

¼ teaspoon oregano

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

Heat a 12” pan and add about a 1tbsp of oil until whisps of smoke appear. Add the shredded beef and cook until crisp, about 4 to 5 minutes. Remove to plate. Add garlic to the pan, and cook for about 40 seconds until golden. Add onion and bell pepper along with black pepper, cumin and oregano, and cook for 2 minutes more. Add meat back in the pan, and cook 2 minutes more. Add 1 cup of reserved broth (save the rest for another use) and 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce and cook for 15 minutes. Heat corn tortillas on a cast iron skillet. Top with pabellon and jicama slaw.

Arepas de Pollo

I made arepas once before, but I tried to pan fry and finish in the oven, and they turned out horrible. Stick with pan frying, and make sure the discs of dough are fairly thin when you add them to the pan.

Chicken:

2 chicken breasts

½ lemon

Sprig of parsley

Cumin

Red pepper flakes

Salt

Pepper

Add everything but the chicken in a pot of water, bring it to a boil, and drop in the chicken. Cover with a lid, turn off the heat, and let it sit for 20 minutes. Remove the chicken, and shred with 2 forks.

Sauce:

14.5 oz can tomato sauce

1 cup chicken stock

¼ cup finely diced onions

1 clove garlic, diced

½ habanero, diced (would’ve used a jalapeno if I had some around)

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 teaspoon ancho chili powder

2 teaspoons oregano

½ teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon coriander

1 teaspoons salt

¼ teaspoon black pepper

*N.B. I have no idea exactly how much of the seasonings I used. Measurements given here are pretty much guesswork

Heat a medium saucepan over medium heat, add some vegetable oil, then sauté the onion, garlic, and pepper for a few minutes until softened. Add in the tomato sauce, stock, and seasonings. Taste and adjust. When you’re happy with the taste, bring the sauce to a simmer and let it reduce, uncovered for 10 minutes or so. Once it’s at a consistency you’re happy with, add the shredded chicken and give it a stir to incorporate everything.

Arepas:

1.5 cups masarepa flour

1.5 cups water

1 teaspoon salt

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl, bring the dough together with your hands, then cover and let sit for 5 minutes. Heat a skillet over medium, and add a lug or two of vegetable oil. Use your hands to shape the dough into six slim discs (3/4” or so thick) Pan fry the arepas for 8 minutes total, flipping half way.

Remove the arepas onto paper towels to sop up excess oil. Cut in half, top with chicken/tomato sauce mixture and queso fresco *cough*grocery store feta*cough*.

Arepas de Domino

This week's 52 Weeks of Cooking challenge  was to use 5 ingredients or less in a dish. I decided to try my hand at arepas, the biscuit-y corn cakes popular in Venezuela and Colombia. The inspiration comes from a food truck, Philly Delicias, which opened up about a block from my office back in January. My arepas didn't turn out as good as theirs, but what can you expect from a first try?

Ingredients (makes 6 arepas):

2 cups, masarepa (aka masa de arepa - PAN and Goya are two popular brands, I found both white and yellow corn varieties in my grocery store's ethnic aisle)
2.5 cups warm water
1/2 teaspoon of salt
Black beans, prepared (1 15 oz. can, or equivalent)
Bacon fat
Cotija cheese

Start by preheating your oven to 400F. In a large bowl, combine the masarepa and salt, mix, and then pour in the warm water. Mix the ingredients together with your hands, until a mass of dough is formed. Cover with plastic wrap and let rest for 5 minutes. Shape the dough into 6 discs, roughly hamburger sized. Heat a large skillet over medium for a few minutes, then add a layer of canola oil and saute the arepas until they start to get some color, about 5 minutes a side (you may need to do this in two batches - don't crowd the arepas in the pan). Transfer the arepas to a baking sheet (use a paper towel to sop up excess oil), and place in the oven for 15 minutes, or until the arepas make a hollow sound when you tap on them.

While the arepas are baking, heat a frying pan over medium, add a spoonful (or you know, more) bacon fat, and saute the beans for about 5 minutes. Once the arepas are cooked through, split them down the center, fill with beans and top with cheese.