Arepa – Dominican Corn Bread

This corn bread was a poor man’s dish that became a Christmas special treat in my house as I was growing up. We did not eat it all year and it was a very special thing to have it at Christmas. Now, there is a town in the Dominican Republic on the way to Jarabacoa that is famous for their arepa. Around 30 years ago there was a lady there that always sold it in a little stand in front of her house, and we always stopped to get some. Now there are maybe 30 stands and a Harina Mazorca, a Dominican corn meal maker is sponsoring the stands so they are all the same colors with a prominent logo. I hope this is making it so they are all making some money and that the quality hasn’t diminished. I like the arepas with little chunks of coconut. But I will take any.

This dish is usually cooked in a wood fire. From what I have heard, fire above and below. But seeing that we probably don’t have access to that, this recipe meant to be cooked on the stove and then baked in an oven.

Corn Bread

Ingredients

  • 3 cups corn meal
  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 3 cups whole milk
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 4 Tbsps butter
  • 1 can coconut milk or the milk of a fresh coconut (look under coconut milk)
  • Cinnamon, anise and nutmeg to taste
  • 2 eggs, beaten

This recipe calls for two processes: One is to cook all the ingredients on the stove. The second is to pour the batter into a pan and bake in the oven.

Step by Step Instructions

Step 1

Combine all ingredients (except eggs) in a saucepan.

Step 2

Stir constantly and cook until thick (like cream of wheat).

Step 3

Remove from heat and let cool for a little while so it isn’t too hot to scramble the eggs.

Step 4

Beat the eggs and add a good big spoon amount of the batter into the eggs. Stir them well and then pour into the batter. You are trying to avoid cooking the eggs.

Step 4

Pour into a greased baking dish (bread pans, or any shape cake pan will do) and bake in 350°F. oven until golden (about 1 hour).

Step 5

Remove from oven and let cool. When it is completely cool, turn out on rack.

This bread will harden more as it cools so you want to wait until it is cool. Slice and serve.

 

 

 

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