Arepas with Black Beans

Arepas have one of the better food architectures ever devised: a hot corn cake with a crisp golden outside, a tender middle, and enough structure to split open and fill like a pocket. These arepas start with masarepa—pre-cooked white cornmeal—mixed with warm water, kosher salt, and a little oil. After a five-minute rest, the dough is shaped into thick discs and cooked in a lightly oiled skillet until a crust forms on both sides. Masarepa is important here; ordinary cornmeal does not hydrate or behave the same way, and substituting it would be like trying to build a porch out of breakfast cereal.

While the arepas cook, black beans warm with garlic and cumin, with a few beans mashed into the pot to make the filling creamier without adding anything heavy. Split the cooked arepas and stuff them with those beans, sliced avocado, crumbled queso fresco or feta, and fresh cilantro. The contrast is the reason to eat them immediately: crisp corn shell, soft interior, creamy beans and avocado, salty cheese, fresh herbs. They are substantial enough for a meal but still handheld, which means a plate is technically advisable rather than spiritually necessary.