Holiday Pumpkin Mushroom Tamales
For many people in the Americas and Caribbean, tamales are holiday food, Its a gift of food wrapped as a present you open with friends and family during the holidays. The essential elements are corn meal or masa harina, leavened with some sort of fat for lightness, and a filling. It can be wrapped in corn husks, banana leaves or simple paper sleeves and then steamed - low and slow. Tamales can be made and cooked in large quantities, and will keep for several days and re-heated as needed. All sorts of chile sauces can also be used for dipping and serving .
Tamales
Hydrated corn husks that have been soaked in hot water, or banana leaves, or even parchment paper to wrap tamales
10 ounces or 1.3 cups lard or vegetable shortening, or butter, slightly softened but not at all runny
1 teaspoon salt
3.5 cups dried masa harina mixed with 2.5 cups chicken or vegetable broth
Filling
Saute 1 diced onion in oil with ground cumin, black pepper and coriander and a touch of brown sugar and red chile flakes.
For the pumpkin or winter squash (butternut, kabucha, etc.), seed and peel, dice and coat in honey, salt and oil and bake 1/2 hour until soft. Slightly crush for filling.
Either saute fresh sliced mushrooms in oil until soft, or hydrate dried mushrooms in hot water (save hydrating water for veg stock) and slice mushrooms
Seasoning
All sorts of herbs and spices can be used for the filling, as well as other chiles and fruits and nuts: crumbled sage, pomegranate seeds, rum soaked raisons, pumpkin and pine nut seeds, chipotle puree, etc. Or precooked and shredded pork or chicken, or cheese.
Preparation
Prepare the cornhusks. Cover the husks with very hot water, weight with a plate to keep them submerged, and let stand for a couple of hours until the husks are pliable. For forming the tamales, separate out 28 of the largest and most pliable husks—ones that are at least 6 inches across on the wider end and 6 or 7 inches long. (Not Needed for banana leaves or paper.)
Prepare the batter. With an electric mixer, beat the lard or shortening with 2 teaspoons salt and the baking powder until light in texture, about 1 minute. Continue beating as you add the masa in three additions. Reduce the speed to medium-low and add 1 cup of the broth. Continue beating for another minute or so. Beat in enough of the remaining 1/2 cup of broth to give the mixture the consistency of soft batter.
Set up the steamer. Steaming 26 husk-wrapped tamales can be done in batches in a collapsible vegetable steamer set into a large, deep saucepan. It is best to line the rack or upper part of the steamer with leftover cornhusks to protect the tamales (or banana leaves) from direct contact with the steam and add flavor.
Form the tamales. Cut twenty-six 8- to 10-inch pieces of string or thin strips of cornhusks. One at a time, form the tamales: Lay out one of your chosen cornhusks with the tapering end toward you. Spread about 1/4 cup of the batter into about a 4-inch square, leaving at least a 1 1/2-inch border on the side toward you and a 3/4-inch border along the other sides (with large husks, the borders will be much bigger). Spoon about 1.5 tablespoons of the filling down the center of the batter. Pick up the two long sides of the cornhusk and bring them together (this will cause the batter to surround the filling). If the uncovered borders of the two long sides you’re holding are narrow, tuck one side under the other; if wide, roll both sides in the same direction around the tamal. (If the husk is small, you may feel more comfortable wrapping the tamal in a second husk.) Finally, fold up the empty 1 1/2-inch section of the husk (to form a tightly closed “bottom” leaving the top open), and secure it in place by loosely tying one of the strings or strips of husk around the tamal. As they’re made, stand the tamales on their folded bottoms in the prepared steamer. They need room to expand.
Steam and serve the tamales. When all the tamales are in the steamer. Set the lid in place and steam over a constant medium heat for about 1 hour. Watch carefully that all the water doesn’t boil away and, to keep the steam steady, pour boiling water into the pot when more is necessary. Tamales are done when the husk peels away from the masa easily. Let tamales stand in the steamer off the heat for a few minutes to firm up.
Recipe by Slow Food DC board member Mark Haskell.
