My Venezuelan Finger Food Experiment
So last weekend, I got this itch. We’re having a little get-together Friday night, right? And I’m tired of the same old chips and dip. Scrolling online, I saw “Venezuelan appetizers”. Boom. Let’s try it. Figured I could pull off a few things – no fancy restaurant stuff, just good finger food people can grab.
First step? Hit the store. Grabbed my keys and drove down. Needed stuff I’d never bought before, like “Harina P.A.N.” – this pre-cooked white cornmeal. Bag looked weird, felt weird, but everyone online swore by it for Tequeños and Arepitas. Got some queso blanco cheese too, plantains, black beans, and a bunch of cilantro and garlic. Mission accomplished. Kinda.
Day Of Disaster… I Mean, Prep. Thursday night, kitchen counter looked like a bomb went off. Started with the easiest: Plantain Chips. Peeled those green plantains – sticky mess! Sliced ’em thin with a mandoline slicer, scared I’d take a fingertip off. Fried them in batches. Simple? Yeah, but time-consuming. Got super crispy. Salty. Good crunch. Success one.
Next up: Tequeños. This should be cheese sticks wrapped in dough? Felt ambitious. Mixed the Harina P.A.N. with warm water and a pinch of salt. Mixed and kneaded. Got a playdough texture. Okay, cool. Cut the queso blanko into skinny sticks. Now, trying to wrap this soft dough around the cheese? Ugh. Dough kept tearing. Too sticky? Added a smidge more flour. Too dry? Added drops of water. Messy. Half looked like sad, lumpy caterpillars. Deep fried them anyway. Oh my god. Cheese bubbled out of most. Burnt my tongue testing one. Total fail? Fried some more, realized you gotta seal them TIGHT. Second batch, rolled them thinner, pressed the seam hard. Better. Some leaked, but most were cheesy, crispy goodness. Salvaged.
Arepitas time. Thought they’d be small corn cakes. Used the same Harina P.A.N. dough. Added some leftover black beans I mashed up? And chopped cilantro. Shaped them into little thick pancake shapes. Fried those too. Came out okay. Dense though. Little bland alone. Needed something… Garlic Sauce! Whacked like five garlic cloves, mayo, splash of lemon, pinch of salt, splash of water. Blitzed it with the stick blender. Whoa. Strong! But perfect with the dense Arepitas. Dunked one. Bingo.
Plating? Nah, serving. Friday came. Put everything on cheap platters:
- The decent looking Tequeños with the ends where cheese leaked hidden.
- Plantain chips in a big bowl.
- Arepitas piled up like little corn pucks next to a bowl of that vicious white garlic sauce (“keep water nearby!”).
Result? People dived in. Tequeños disappeared FAST. Couple broke and leaked cheese on the carpet. Oops. Plantain chips? Crunchy hit. Arepitas with the sauce? Got serious eyebrow raises. That garlic punch is no joke! Everyone loved it though. Felt different. Was it authentic? Probably not exactly. Messed up plenty. But totally doable! Learned:
- Seal Tequeños like your life depends on it. Cheese WILL escape.
- Plantain chips are deceptively easy.
- Harina P.A.N. dough takes practice.
- Venezuelan garlic sauce kicks like a mule. Respect it.
Worth the hassle? For the happy munching sounds? Yeah, 100%. Might attempt Cachapas next time… maybe.
