Wednesday, February 27, 2008

Tamales de Elote con Salsa de Zarzamora - Sweet Corn Tamales w/Blackberry Sauce

Tamales de Elote con Salsa de Zarzamoras -or- Sweet Corn Tamales with Blackberry Sauce.... We love these, they are sweet and tender and the blackberry sauce is perfect!
2 cups sweet corn kernels
1/4 cup honey
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon pinch of salt
1/4 tsp baking soda (bicarbonate)
1/8 tsp whole anis seeds
12 whole corn husk leaves, tamale leaves
Sauce:
1 cup blackberries (fresh / frozen / jam in a pinch)
2 tsp blackberry liquor (you can get creative here)
2 tsp powdered sugar
Presentation: 1 bunch mint leaves 1/2 cup fresh blackberries (or use something else)
4 tbl natural yogurt
TAMALES In food processor put the corn kernels and process until you get a loose dough with texture, add honey, cinnamon, salt, bicarb and anis seeds. Pulse a couple more times so everything is integrated, put in bowl and reserve. Insure really clean corn leaves (husks), can be soaked so they are very pliable. Put a tablespoon in the center of the leaf,extending lengthwise. Fold leaf over sides and then top and bottom to make a rectangle, but leave some room to puff up. Place each tamale in a steamer or create one by using a large pot with a cup in the center bottom, 2 in water on the bottom and a dish on top of the cup (you need to have a raised platform type with water underneath so the tamales aren't soaking in water and can steam, ok?) Steam the tamales until cooked and can easily separate from the leaf, about 45 min to 1hour I guess.
NOTE: When you check them they will still be kind of soft but should separate easily from the leaf, you will see the leaf indentations on them. They will only "gel" and get the texture you know once they cool a bit, so don't keep cooking forever expecting them to harden up... I learned this the hard way, lol Sauce Put blackberries, sugar & liquor in blender and make smooth. Presentation / Plating Take tamales from the leaf and cut diagonally down the center. You can either use the leaf, folded, as part of the decoration by laying it on the plate or simply make a circle or large dots with the sauce, dot some yogurt in the middle of the sauce and spike it by putting a toothpick in the center of the yogurt and pulling it towards the edge, makes a star shape (you can create other shapes as well: hearts, lines, zigzags, etc.) Lay one part of the tamale on the plate and put the other over this one so they make a little tower. Decorate with powdered sugar through a sieve and put more fruit around and some mint leaves also.

No comments:

Post a Comment