Recipe: El Dorado Cantina Sweet Corn Tamales, Basic Tamale Dough with Sweet Roasted Corn, Corn, Cheese, and Chili Tamales with Tomatillo-Avocado Salsa, Tamales Dulces (Sweet Tamales)

Hi Joan :-) These are recipes that I found on the internet. I have not tried any of them. Maybe your daughter can show the recipes to her fiance and see which one is closest to what he has in mind. Tamales are quite a lot of work, and time comsuming so instead of spending time and money on something that isn't what he wants perhaps he can give her a bit of direction. Also, maybe he has a relative that has a recipe for Tamales of the type he is looking for. Good luck!!

EL DORADO CANTINA SWEET CORN TAMALES

Source: El Dorado Cantina, Brentwood, California - Consulting Chef John Rivera Sedlar - Executive Chef Salvador Morales

1 tablespoon corn oil
3 cups fresh corn kernels
1/2 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
1/2 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 tablespoon semolina flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground white pepper
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 large egg
6 cornhusks, soaked

Heat the corn oil in a saucepan. Add the corn and bell peppers and saut over medium heat for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring frequently, until tender. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.

Transfer 3/4 of this mixture to a blender and blend for 1 minute. Do not over-mix. Add the remainder of the mixture and other ingredients and pulse until thoroughly combined.

Place one of the cornhusks on a flat surface. Scoop about 3 ounces of the mixture into the husk. Close the sides of the husk around the mixture twisting both ends.

Tie both ends of the tamales with a strip of husk 1/2 inch wide. Stuff and tie the remaining tamales and set aside.

In a large saucepot place two inches of water and a vegetable basket. Place the tamales in the basket, cover and heat over a medium boil for 50 minutes.

Serve tamales hot.

Basic Tamale Dough with Sweet Roasted Corn
Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse
Yield: 5 to 10 servings

2 cups corn kernels, fresh off the cob
1 1/2 cups masa harina
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
3 tablespoons softened butter
1/3 cup lard, shortening, or duck fat
3/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons water
10 fresh corn husks

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cook the corn in a nonstick pan, stirring constantly, until it is sweet and golden brown -- you want the natural sugars to come out.

Mix the masa, baking powder, salt, and cumin thoroughly together. In another bowl, beat the butter and fat together until very light and creamy, about 5 minutes. Add the corn and beat for 1 minute. Gradually beat in 3 tablespoon of masa mixture, then 3 tablespoons of water until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Continue beating in the masa and water, alternately, until the dough is very smooth and of spreading consistency, about 5 minutes.

Place 1 husk on a flat surface and put about 3 tablespoons of dough in the center. Form it into a cylinder, leaving 1-inch on each end. Fold the sides of the husk to the center to overlap. At this point you can tie them or fold the pointed end over the center of the tamale. Repeat with remaining filling.

Place the tamales seam side down on a 4-inch square piece of foil. Fill the foil with 1 tablespoon of water and seal the foil closed, seam on top. Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes.

CORN, CHEESE, AND CHILI TAMALES WITH TOMATILLO-AVOCADO SALSA
Poblano chilies (fresh green chilies), tomatillos (green tomato-like fruits), dried corn husks, and Masa Harina are found at many supermarkets and Latin American markets.
Tomatillo-Avocado Salsa

12 tomatillo, husked, rinsed well
1 small onion, quartered
6 large garlic cloves, peeled
2 to 3 serrano chilies, stemmed
2 ripe avocados, peeled, diced
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

Tamales
1 6-ounce package dried corn husks

1 pound large poblano chilies
2 cups Masa Harina (corn tortilla mix)
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
3 tablespoons sugar
2 1/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup canned low-salt chicken broth
5 cups frozen baby white corn kernels (about 25 ounces), thawed
3 cups (packed) coarsely grated sharp cheddar cheese
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

Make Salsa:
Cook first 4 ingredients in heavy large skillet over high heat until charred in spots but still firm, turning occasionally, about 5 minutes. Transfer to processor; using on/off turns, chop coarsely. Add all remaining ingredients. Blend to coarse puree. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill.)

Make Tamales:
Selecting the largest and cleanest husks, place half of husks in large bowl; fill bowl with warm water. Weigh husks down with plate; soak husks until soft, separating occasionally, about 2 hours. Form 36 ties by tearing several husks into 1/2-inch-wide strips.

Char chilies directly over gas flame or under broiler until blackened on all sides. Place in medium bowl; cover tightly with plastic. Let stand 10 minutes. Peel, seed, and chop chilies.

To make dough, blend Masa Harina, butter, sugar, and 1 teaspoon salt in processor until coarse meal forms. Add broth and blend in (mixture will be crumbly). Transfer masa mixture to large bowl. Blend 2 1/2 cups corn, 1 cup cheese, baking powder, pepper, and 1 1/4 teaspoons salt in processor until coarse puree forms. Stir puree, then 2 1/2 cups corn into masa.

For each tamale, open 1 large softened husk. Place 1/3 cup tamale dough in center of husk. Make depression in center of dough; fill with 1 tablespoon chilies, then 1 tablespoon cheese. Using moistened fingertips, press dough over filling to cover; shape filled dough into 3-inch-long log parallel to 1 long edge of husk. Fold 1 long side of husk over filling and roll up to enclose. Tie ends of filled husks tightly with husk strips.

Add enough water to large pot containing steamer insert to reach bottom of insert. Layer tamales in steamer insert. Bring water to boil; cover pot. Steam until tamales are firm, removing insert and adding boiling water to pot to maintain water level as needed, about 1 hour. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cool slightly. Refrigerate. Before serving, re-steam 45 minutes to heat through.) Serve tamales in husks with salsa.

Makes 18 tamales.

Bon App tit
September 2001

Tamales Dulces (Sweet Tamales)
By Taylor Benson

Tamales are a true labor of love. Considering the work involved you'll want to make good sized batches, so recruit some help!

This recipe makes 14 dozen excellent tamales (mas or menos). We like to refrigerate the masa and filling overnight. The masa seems easier to spread and the filling thickens, so more juice goes into the tamal. Plan ahead -- the entire process takes two days.

This recipe calls for ingredients that are available at the grocery store here in Corpus Christi, Texas, and could probably be improved by substituting products found in Mexico.

(Carl's note: in Spanish, "tamales" is the plural of "tamal". As in, "Last night I ate a delicious tamal but Lorena ate six tamales.")

Day 1: Prepare the Filling (Base) and the Masa
Filling (Base)

4-16 oz. boxes golden raisins
4-20 oz. cans crushed pineapple in heavy syrup
1/2 cup water

Put the raisins in a sauce pan. Strain the liquid from the pineapple into the raisins, add water and set aside the pineapple.

Sweeten with:

1/2 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup cane syrup

Season with:
1 tsp fresh nutmeg
1/2 tsp ginger
1 tsp cardamom
1/2 tsp ground coriander
3 Tbs Mexican vanilla
1 Tbs rice vinegar
1 1/2 Tbsp shoyu (Shoyu is traditional Japanese soy sauce. Shoyu is high in glutamic acid, the precursor to MSG. "Tree of Life" brand is unpasteurized and very tasty.)

Something to keep in mind when you season the masa and filling; steaming leaches out spices and salt, so use intense flavors.

Cook the raisin mixture until the raisins are fully hydrated (fat and swollen).

Strain the raisins and add a cup of Kahlua to this reserve liquid.
Place raisins, reserve liquid and the drained pineapple in separate containers.
Refrigerate overnight

Masa
3 bags (5 Lb. each) fresh white corn masa
3 cups pecan meal (roasted)
2 lbs. Brown Sugar
4 lbs Unsalted Butter
2 Cups corn oil
2 Cups lard (melted)
2 packets (3.5 oz. each) of Pasta de Achiote
4 Tbsp salt

Roast 3 cups of pecan meal in the oven -- on a cookie sheet for 20 minutes at 300F. Remove the roasted pecan meal from the oven and add 2 lbs. of brown sugar and 2 Tbs cinnamon. Stir until cool and then sift.

In a large bowl, thoroughly mix the following: white corn masa, melted butter, lard, oil, pulverised dried Achiote paste, 4 cups of raisin reserve, 2 cups pecan meal mix, and 4 Tbsp salt.

Refrigerate overnight (seems to spread more evenly).

Day 2:

Filling: Yesterday you made the Base and today you will complete the Filling.

Additional ingredients:
1 (14 oz.) can Eagle Brand Milk
1 (5 oz.) jar of Bonne Maman's Cherry Compote
1 (14 oz.) bag Baker's Sweetened Coconut
Traditional Shoyu (Japanese soy sauce)
Kahlua
2 (10 oz) bags Pecan Halves

In a large bowl mix the following: raisins, pineapple, last cup of reserve, 1-14 oz. can Eagle Brand milk, 1- 5 oz. jar of Bonne Maman's Cherry Compote, 1- 14 oz. bag Baker's Sweetened Coconut, 1 cup Shoyu, 1 cup vanilla, 1 cup Kahlua, 5 cups pecan meal mix, 2- 10 oz. bags pecan halves and 1 lb melted butter.

Put this mixture back into the fridge.

Corn Husk covering for the Tamales
5 packs (6 oz. each) of dry corn shucks

To soften the corn shucks, place all of the hojas in 2.5 gallons of water. Bring the pot to a boil, simmer for 1 hour, then turn off the heat and let the shucks soak for one more hour. Once they've soaked, drain them.

Sort through the hojas (shucks) and pick out small ones. Lay these smaller shucks flat in the bottom of the pot, on top of the steamer rack, to act as a cushion for the tamales.

Clean off any debris from the remaining hojas and stack them in piles, ready to fill.

Let the fun begin!

Making the Tamales
Terri and I can fill 14 dozen tamales in about 2 1/2 hours.

The Pot: We have three different steamers we use, depending on how many tamales we are making. We bought our tamal steamers here in the States (imported from Mexico). The pot that holds 14 dozen is 17" in diameter and 13" tall. Something they all have in common is a rack that nests towards the bottom to support the tamales well above the boiling water, so any large steamer that accomplishes this will work.

Put your steamer on the stove and add water to a level a couple of inches below the rack.

Organize your work space into an assembly line: hojas, masa, filling.....

The "Spreader" takes an hoja and spreads it out flat on a plate (or small tray). The typical corn shuck is somewhat triangular -- arrange the hoja with the narrow end pointed away from you. Using a spatula, spoon or butter knife (we've been spoiled using the small stainless spreaders available at restaurant supply houses) spread a heaping tablespoon of masa so that it covers the lower 2/3's of the right 4 inches of the hoja, and pass it to the "Filler".

The "Filler" takes a heaping teaspoon of filling and spreads it over the length of the masa, and then rolls it closed -- starting with the filled side. Fold the unfilled narrow end over and place the tamales around the pot. Put the tamales shoulder-to shoulder, with the open end of each tamale facing up.

(Note: how much masa and filler you use is a matter of personal preference. Some of the best tamales I ever ate were from an outdoor market in Eugene, Oregon made by women from the San Luis Potosi area. The tamales were huge with thick masa wrapped in banana leaves. Yummmy!)

After the pot is filled (isn't that a grand sight!), place the lid on and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to maintain a steady boil and steam the tamales for an hour. If you have to add more water, be sure it is boiling hot.

Tamal Test: Take a tamal from the middle of the pot, let it cool for ten minutes and then taste. Cooling the tamal for ten minutes will stiffen it if the masa is properly "set". If the masa hasn't "set" yet and is still "doughy", keep cooking for an additional 30 minutes. Test another tamal and repeat this sequence until they are all done.

After your tamales have cooled, wrap any you can't eat soon in foil. Tamales freeze well and can be quickly reheated by steaming.

Buen Provecho!