When I was growing up, my mom and I would go to this restaurant called, Carlos Murphy’s (which I believe is a chain — but we only went to one of them). It was an Irish/Mexican restaurant. I used to get taquitos. With that introduction taken care of, I now give you a tamale recipe on St. Patrick’s Day!
Tamales are an extremely fun project for when you have a few hours to devote to a culinary event. They are time-intensive, so be warned (steaming alone takes 2 hours). But, they are also nice to make with your significant other (or a friend, of course). Two people can assemble the tamales in half the time. That means you can start steaming and subsequently start eating that much faster!
Tamales were also something that I was a little intimidated to try to attempt. But, actually, it’s pretty easy. Just many steps and and a fair amount of time.
This recipe is from Emeril, who really, has never steered my wrong yet. Everything I’ve tried of his has worked out really well. I usually make a half recipe of the one listed below, which will make me about 17-18 tamales. We snack on them for about 4 days, then freeze what is leftover. jwa just brought a couple from the freezer for lunch yesterday. He thought I was giving him frozen Trader Joe’s tamales until he opened the container and realized they were the ones we made about a month ago. This made him quite pleased.
I’ve substituted some of the peppers from what Emeril uses, based on what I could find easily (jalapenos, serranos, poblanos and anaheims). I’ve been really happy with the results.
So, grab a partner and make some tamales this weekend!
Chicken & Goat Cheese Tamales
1 (8-ounce) package of corn husks, approximately 40 husks
Tamale Filling:
2 tablespoons vegetable shortening
1 cup chopped yellow onions
3/4 cup corn kernels
1/2 serrano chile, seeded and chopped
1/2 cup diced green bell pepper
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1 pound cooked, shredded chicken meat
1/2 cup diced, roasted, peeled, seeded jalapeno peppers
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro leaves
6 ounces crumbled goat cheese
Tamale Dough:
2/3 cup vegetable shortening, plus 1/3 cup melted
4 cups masa harina (it’s by the flour and corn meal in the grocery store)
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups chicken stock, or canned, low-sodium chicken broth
Separate the dry corn husks into individual pieces and remove any corn silk threads inside the husks. Eventhough I’m not going to use all the husks, I usually soak the whole bag as some will rip (at least they do for me). This way, you can pick out the good ones for your tamales. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and remove from heat.
Place the separated husks in the water, weight with a large, round bowl or baking dish, and cover. Allow the husks to soak for 30 minutes and up to 1 hour.
To make the filling, heat the shortening in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, corn, and bell peppers, and cook, stirring, until soft, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic, chili powder, salt, cumin, and cayenne, and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the chicken, chile peppers, and cilantro, and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat and let sit until cool enough to handle. When cool, fold in the goat cheese.
To make the dough, place the solid shortening in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, and cream until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Combine the masa harina and salt in a bowl. With the mixer on medium speed, alternately add the masa harina and chicken stock to the whipped shortening, thoroughly mixing after each addition. Gradually add the melted shortening to the dough mixture with the mixer on medium speed.
Place one large soaked cornhusk on a flat work surface. Spoon enough of the masa batter into the center and with the back of a spoon or your fingers, spread it into a 4-inch square.
Place two generous spoonfuls chicken mixture into the center of the masa. Spread it down the middle.
Roll the sides of the corn husk up to make a cylinder, making sure the masa come together.
Use either kitchen twine, or strips of corn husk to tie the ends.
You can also wrap the tamale like a package, folding the sides of the husk over the filling, then bringing the bottom and the top over the filling, overlapping as much as possible to tightly enclose the filling. Set tamale aside (I use a baking sheet) and keep going with the rest.
To steam:
Lay or stand the tamales in a steamer insert over a pot of gently boiling water, being careful not to pack them too tightly. Cover the top of the tamales with a layer of the remaining corn husks, then cover with a lid. When I do this, I usually have to use 3 pots (and I make a half recipe). So, plan this step accordingly. If you have 2 or more HUGE pots you can steam in, you should be good.
Steam the tamales, covered, over the boiling water for 2 hours, replenishing the water as needed. Remove the tamales from the steamer insert and let cool for 10 minutes before handling.
To serve, unwrap the tamales and top each with a spoonful of Chile Verde and a dollop of sour cream. I also think they are quite good over some black beans.
Chile Verde: (It’s Green!)
Again, I make a half recipe
3 Anaheim chiles
3 Poblano chiles
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 cup chopped white onion
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced, seeded jalapeno pepper
2 teaspoons dried Mexican oregano
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups chicken stock, or canned low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Jut so you know, I’ve decreased the peppers in my version. If you like stuff really spicy, double what I list above! Roast the peppers by placing them under the broiler, turning them as needed until all sides are charred black. Place the blackened peppers in a plastic or paper bag, and let rest until cool enough to handle, about 15 minutes. Peel the peppers, and remove the seeds and the stems. Chop the peppers and set aside.
In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring, until tender, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic, jalapenos, oregano, salt, and cumin, and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
Add the flour and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.
Add the chopped peppers, and stir well to combine. Add the chicken stock, stir well, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes.
Remove the chile verde from the heat, add the cilantro, and adjust seasoning, to taste. Serve with tamales.