Party Like There's No Tamale!

But thank goodness you can make tamales and have fun doing it. The process of making tamales can be a party on its own called a Tamalada. These perfect little packages are all wrapped up like gifts to present to your friends. They can be filled with savory ingredients or enjoyed without filling for their natural sweet corn flavor. I consider food a gift from one person’s heart to another person’s stomach. That is love! So gather your friends and have a tamale making party and share your creations together over a tasty margarita!

Easy Salsa Verde

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil

4-5 tomatillos, husks removed

1/2 white onion

2 cloves garlic, unpeeled

2 whole chilies de arbol, stemmed

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Juice of 1 lime

1/2 cup chicken broth

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Peel the papery husks off the tomatillos and wash them (they will be sticky under the paper).

Preheat broiler to high. Place the tomatillos, onion, peppers and unpeeled garlic cloves on a baking sheet pan and drizzle with olive oil to coat. Put pan under the preheated broiler until all vegetables are roasted and are browned to slightly charred on all sides, about 10 minutes.  Rotate the ingredients during cooking to make sure all sides are browned.

Pour the chicken broth onto the hot baking sheet and scrap up the browned goodies from the bottom to the pan. Save this for the salsa. Once cooled, squeeze the garlic from the peel and transfer the mixture to a blender. Add the cilantro and chicken broth. Process until smooth, about 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Pour the salsa into a serving bowl and serve.

Sweet Corn Tamales

Ingredients:

4 cups fresh corn kernels, from 4 ears or 1/2 lb bag frozen corn, thawed

1 stick (4 ounces) butter, at room temperature

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 cup masa harina (dried corn flour)

20 dried corn husks, soaked in warm water for 30 minutes

Directions:

Working in batches, add the corn kernels to a blender or food processor and puree until smooth.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until pale. Add the egg, salt, and baking powder. Mix to incorporate. Add the masa and pureed corn and mix until blended and forms smooth dough, like thick peanut butter. Add more masa if too thin or water if too thick.

Put a corn husk lengthwise in front of you with the wide side closest to you. Spread 3 tablespoons of the dough all over the bottom half (wide side) of the corn husk, leaving about a 1-inch-wide border on the left and right sides. Pick up the 2 long sides of the corn husk and bring them together. Roll both sides of the corn husks in the same direction over the filling.

Repeat with remaining corn husks and dough. Place the tamales, seam side down, in the steamer basket of a pasta, vegetable or tamale cooker. Fill the bottom of the steamer; the water level should be below the rack. Then stack tamales on top of one another. Don’t let the water touch the tamales. Cover with a tight fitting lid, bring to a simmer and steam for 1 1/2 - 2 hours, adding additional water, as needed to maintain water level in the pan. Watch carefully so that water does not boil down and burn bottom of pan! Cook tamales until the tamales come free from the husks. 

Remove the tamales from the steamer to a serving platter and serve with side of salsa.