MY FAVORITE RECIPE — Chef Miguel

CHEF MIGUEL DERAS Mariel

INSPIRED BY THE BEAUTY, culture and cuisine of Havana, Mariel — a Cuban-inspired restaurant located in Boston — offers a throwback to the hospitality and service of an earlier time.

Chief Culinary Officer Tom Berry and Chef Miguel Deras infuse the island’s melting pot of flavors throughout the menu, which pays homage to the country’s rich culinary history.

Among the favorites: The Corn & Crab Arepitas made of corn meal, cheese, and corn kernels, then topped with a salad made of high-end Japanese surimi crab, imitation crab made from white fish.

“In the crab salad we have grilled corn, avocado, spicy caribe mayo, red onions, cilantro, scallions, lime and then garnish it with fresh sliced jalapeño, smoked paprika oil and micro cilantro,” Deras explains. “The Arepitas are one of our favorite dishes, and guests really enjoy all the flavors we’ve put together in this recipe”

Corn & Crab Arepitas

The Crab Salad:

3 c. surimi crab, shredded 1 c. Caribe mayo 1½ T. lime juice 1 c. grilled corn 1 c. red onion, diced 2 c. avocado, diced 2 t. salt ½ c. cilantro, chopped ½ c. scallions, chopped Mix all ingredients together in a medium bowl. Stir just until combined.

The Arepa Dough:

1¼ c. milk ¼ c. butter 1⅓ c. corn kernels (fresh or frozen) 3 c. yellow Masarepa ⅓ c. AP flour ¼ c. sugar 2 t. salt ¾ c. Queso Havana (you can substitute shredded mozzarella) Heat the milk and butter together until warmed. Puree the corn in a food processor. Mix the Masarepa flour, AP flour, sugar, and salt in a bowl with a whisk.

Add the corn puree and cheese to the flour bowl. Pour the hot milk over and mix well with a rubber spatula.

Hand form the arepas into the desired size. We do about 2 tablespoons per arepa at Mariel. Sear both sides of the arepa in a nonstick pan, until golden brown.

The Corn Sauce:

2 c. corn juice ¼ c. jalapeño, sliced 1 t. salt ½ c. sour cream 2 T. lime juice ½ t. bijol To make the corn juice, simmer 4 cups of corn kernels with 1 cup of water. Add the jalapeños (or omit if you don’t want the spiciness). Use a stick blender to puree the mixture.

Strain the liquid using cheese cloth or a fine sieve. Mix corn liquid with sour cream and remaining seasonings.

Bring it to simmer and finish it in the blender. Keep cold until use.

Chef’s Note: Here at Mariel, we cook the Arepitas to order on a flat top, but you can also use a nonstick pan to give them a nice golden-brown color on both sides with a little bit of melted butter.

Once arepas are fully cooked, we scoop some crab salad and place it on top of the arepas.

On a plate, pour some of the corn and jalapeno sauce and then line up the arepas on top, and finish it off with sliced jalapenos, micro cilantro, and a few drops of smoked paprika oil around the arepas.

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