Liliana’s Perico Filling for Arepas, with Eggs, Tomatoes & Onion
- June 2021
- By Liliana Hernández
- Recipe from Venezuela
Perico arepas are high on the list of one of our favorite Venezuelan homecooks Liliana Hernandez. ”I love arepas — a traditional round, flat bread made from ground cornmeal — and one of my favorite arepas is called perico. A mix of eggs, tomato and onion, perico is one of the most famous arepa fillings in the country I am from, Venezuela.”
”Perico means parrot in Spanish. Why is this relleno called perico? You hear many different stories. Some people say that its color looks a lot like a small, yellow parrot back home, which we call periquitos.”
”I learned how to make this filling from my father. His perico was espectacular. I just loved it,” says Liliana.
You’ll see that in my recipe I use mucho cilantro. Me encanta el cilantro. I think it adds such a delicious, típico sabor to Venezuelan food, so I use it a lot in my cooking. I am excited to share this recipe with you.
Ready to Make Perico Arepas for Breakfast or Lunch?
My Perico Filling for Arepas with Egg, Tomato and Onio
8
servings10
minutes15
minutesIngredients
6 eggs, beaten lightly
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 cup tomato, chopped, about 2 to 3 tomatoes
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper, aka “un pinch”
3 Tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
6 seeds annatto or achiote, optional, for color
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp water
Directions
- Put the oil and butter in a pan over medium-low heat.
- If using the annatto or achiote, place the seeds in the lightly warmed oil until they start to release their iconic yellow color. Stirring the whole time, keep close watch that the seeds do not burn, or they will add a bitter taste to your oil and you will have to change it. When the oil is a nice, bright yellow, remove the seeds. You can save them if you wish: you can use them in another dish if you wish: they are still good.
- Add the onions to the nice hot achiote oil. Use a whisk and stir while they saute for 3 minutes.
- When the onions are translucent, add the tomatoes, stirring often as they cook for about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Whisk in the chopped cilantro and saute for 30 seconds.
- To the bowl with the lightly beaten eggs, add the salt and pepper and whisk together well.
- Now add the egg mixture to the pan with the onion and tomato, still on medium-low heat. Whisk constantly as it all cooks, so that the eggs don’t stick to the pan and stay nice and fluffy.
- Here’s a cooking trick I learned from my father. When the egg mixture was just about fully cooked, he’d add a little drip of water—un chorrito—to keep it moist. About 2 Tbsp of water.
- Taste one last time to adjust seasonings.
- Now I turn off the heat, keeping the egg mixture in the pan to make sure it stays warm, all the while stirring to keep it from sticking.
- I take a steaming hot arepa, slice it open, and fill it with a large spoonful or two of perico relleno. It’s ready! Enjoy for breakfast or any time of day.
Notes
- I recommend using a whisk to stir your perico relleno. It’s better than a wooden spoon because it keeps the egg lighter, fluffier and more separated. This makes for a better-tasting perico arepa, in my opinion.
- I prefer adding the salt and pepper directly to the eggs than to the onion-tomato mix. The flavors blend better, I think.
- If your perico is too salty, add another lightly beaten whole egg or egg white to your saute.
- If you want more detailed, step-by-step cooking tips, check out this video where I make perico arepa video on Mi Show de Cocina on YouTube.
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