Marthas Tamale Dressing Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat the broiler. Halve the poblanos lengthwise and remove the stems and seeds. Place cut-side down on a baking sheet and broil until browned in spots, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and set aside 5 minutes. Peel off the skin, then roughly chop.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Combine the lard, baking powder and 1 teaspoon salt in a large bowl and mix with a wooden spoon until combined. Whisk the masa harina, 2 cups hot water and the broth in a separate bowl; add to the lard mixture and mix until smooth.
• Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the scallions, garlic, chipotles, cumin and orange zest and cook, stirring, until the scallions are soft, about 2 minutes. Add the plantains, roasted poblanos and capers and season with salt.
• Gently stir the scallion mixture into the masa mixture. Line a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with the banana leaves, crossing one over the other, and add the filling. Fold the banana leaves over the filling, tucking them in to seal. Cover with aluminum foil and bake until the filling is set, about 1 hour, 15 minutes, uncovering halfway through.

Steps:

• Heat over to 350. Coat a 9 x 13 in baking dish with non stick spray.
• Crumble or cut tamales and corn bread into small pieces, place in a large mixing bowl. Drain juices from tomatoes, set aside.
• Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, Saute onion for 5 minutes.
• Add Mexican seasonings and drained tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes until heated and onion is tender.
• Toss mixture lightly with tamales, cornbread and cheese. Keep mixture loose; don't overmix or pack down.
• Transfer dressing to baking dish, bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until browned.
• If you can't find a Mexican blend seasoning, you can use 1 tsp each of Chili powder, garlic powder and ground cumin.

Steps:

• Bring water to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Add 2 teaspoons salt. Whisking constantly, add cornmeal in a slow, steady stream, switching to a wooden spoon when cornmeal becomes too thick to whisk. Reduce heat to medium, and cook, stirring often, until thick and creamy, about 15 minutes. Stir in butter, cover, and keep warm over low heat.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly butter a 2-quart baking dish. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, then add onion, garlic, bell pepper, chile, and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring often, until onion is light gold and vegetables are tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Add turkey, and cook, breaking up large pieces with a wooden spoon, until cooked through, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in tomatoes and juices, stock, cumin, oregano, and cayenne. Reduce heat to medium, and cook, stirring, until most of the liquid has evaporated and mixture resembles chili, about 10 minutes. Stir in olives, and season with salt and pepper.
• Spread 1 1/2 cups cornmeal into bottom of prepared dish with a wet spatula. Spread turkey mixture on top, then spread remaining 2 1/2 cups cornmeal on top. Sprinkle with Monterey Jack. Bake until golden brown and cheese is melted, 35 to 40 minutes. Let stand for 15 minutes. Serve with avocado, tomatoes, cilantro, red onion, and lettuce.

Steps:

• Melt butter in heavy large skillet over medium heat.
• Add onions, bell peppers, all chiles, sage and oregano.
• Sauté until vegetables are tender.
• Transfer to a bowl with corn bread.
• Mix in cilantro, corn chips, corn kernels, cream-style corn and heated chicken stock.
• Add tamales at the end and do not break up.
• Salt and pepper to taste.
• If stuffing is too dry, add a little melted butter.
• Place dressing in a buttered 9-inch-by-13-inchbaking pan.
• Cover with foil and bake dressing in a preheated 325-degree oven for 45 minutes.
• Remove foil and bake another 15 minutes, until brown.

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• 2. Coat a 9 x 13 inch baking dish with cooking spray.
• 3. Crumble tamales and cornbread into a large mixing bowl.
• 4. Drain the juice from the tomatoes and set aside.
• 5. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Saute onion 3 minutes. Add seasonings and drained tomatoes cook 5 minutes longer or until onion is tender.
• 6. Toss the tomato mixture lightly with the tamale mixture and the cheese. Transfer to prepared baking dish.
• 7. Bake 30 to 40 minutes or until browned.

Steps:

• Combine masa harina, lard, and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until mixture is the texture of coarse cornmeal. Transfer to a large bowl. Add 2 cups corn kernels to processor bowl, puree, and transfer to bowl with masa mixture. Stir in remaining corn kernels and chicken broth. Knead mixture with hands until a dough forms. Cover dough with a damp towel until ready to use.

Steps:

• Place corn husks into a large heatproof bowl. Pour enough boiling water over the husks to cover. Place a heatproof plate on the husks to keep them submerged. Let soak for 1 hour. Remove, and set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together lard and 2 teaspoons salt on medium speed until combined. Slowly add the masa harina and stock. Continue to beat until well combined and smooth. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour.
• Bring a medium pot filled with water to a boil. Add the tomatillos and jalapenos and cook until soft, 6 to 8 minutes. Drain, and transfer to the jar of a blender along with the garlic, cilantro, onion, and bouillon. Blend until smooth, 1 to 2 minutes, adding a little water, if needed.
• Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium heat, add chicken and tomatillo mixture. Simmer until heated through, about 5 minutes.
• Working with the grain, tear 3 corn husks lengthwise into 24 quarter-inch-wide strips. Set aside.
• Place one of the remaining 12 corn husks on work surface; pat dry. Position corn husk so the small end is parallel to the edge of your work surface. Place 1/4 cup of the masa mixture onto the center, but slightly closer to the bottom, of the corn husk. Spread into a rectangle, leaving a 1 1/2-inch border on the small end and a 1-inch border around the other three sides. Place about 2 tablespoons of the chicken mixture into the center of the masa mixture, followed by a piece of potato and then a piece of cheese. Bring the two long sides of the husk together to enclose the filling. Fold the ends under, tying with 2 of the reserved strips to secure. Repeat process with remaining husks and filling.
• Fill a tamale steamer, or a stockpot fitted with a steamer insert, with enough water to come just below the level of the steamer. Line the bottom of the steamer insert with a layer or corn husks. Place over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, and add tamales so that they stand (upright) in the pot. Cover with damp paper towels. Steam for 1 hour and 15 minutes, adding more water if necessary. To check for doneness, unwrap a tamale. When done, dough will come free from corn husk and feel soft. If dough sticks to corn husk, rewrap, and steam 15 to 20 minutes more. Remove from heat; let stand 15 minutes to allow the masa to firm up. They will remain warm for about an hour.

Steps:

• Make the filling: Heat a small heavy skillet or a comal over medium heat until hot. Add garlic, and cook until soft and well charred on all sides, 5 to 10 minutes. Peel, and transfer to the jar of a large heavy-duty blender. Add chile to pan, and toast for 1 minute per side. Tear chile into pieces, discarding stem; add to blender. Add avocado leaves to pan, a few at a time, and toast about 30 seconds per side; tear into pieces, discarding tough stems; add to blender.
• In a large deep skillet, heat lard over medium heat. Add onion, and cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer onions to blender along with 1/2 cup water. Blend until smooth. Add beans, with their liquid, and blend until smooth. If necessary, work in batches.
• Reheat lard in skillet, adding a little more if necessary. Add the blended bean mixture, and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until you have a thick paste, about 10 minutes. Season with salt. Let stand at room temperature, covered, or set over an ice bath, until cool.
• Fill tamale steamer or a stockpot lined with a steamer with enough water to come just below the level of the rack. Place four light coins in the water. Discontinuation of their jiggling will let you know that the water is getting dangerously low and should be supplemented with more boiling water. Place a double layer of corn husks to cover the rack; set aside.
• Make the dough: In a medium bowl, work lard and salt into the masa until evenly distributed. Divide dough into 15 portions, and roll each into a smooth ball.
• Line a tortilla press with a piece of matte plastic wrap (such as a cut-open vegetable bag from the grocery store, not a shiny piece of plastic). Place one of the balls on the bottom plate of a tortilla press, and flatted slightly with your hand. Press the top plate down, but not too hard, to obtain a disk of dough about 5 1/2 inches in diameter.
• Remove disk from tortilla press. Peel back the top piece of plastic to release the dough, replace the plastic, and flip disk and plastic over. Peel back the second side. Spread a generous tablespoon of the bean paste over the center of the dough, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Use the bottom piece of plastic to fold the dough up and over the filling about two-thirds of the way. Repeat on second side, enclosing the filling. Fold in the two remaining sides, creating a rectangular tamale, about 3 1/2-by-2-inches.
• Carefully transfer tamale to a soaked corn husk. Top with a piece of hoja santa. Fold the corn husk over to completely cover dough. Set tamale on a tray, and repeat with remaining ingredients.
• By this time the water in the steamer should be boiling and the coins rattling. Place the tamales in the steamer, overlapping them slightly, but not stacking them. Cover with more husks, a thick kitchen towel, and a tightly fitting lid.
• Cook tamales for 40 minutes to 1 hour. To test for doneness, remove one of the tamales and check that, when it's opened up, the dough separates easily from the husk. Serve with salsa de chile pasilla de Oaxaca.