Shanna's Garlic & Goat Cheese Tamales
24 x dried corn husks
MASA
1 1/2 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels preferably fresh
1 med onion coarsely chopped
1 x roasted garlic head cloves removed
2 cup chicken stock or water
6 tbl unsalted butter
6 tbl vegetable shortening
1 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1 tsp sugar
Salt to taste
Freshly-ground black pepper to taste
1 cup goat cheese crumbled
FRESH THYME BUTTER
1 stk butter slightly softened
2 tbl fresh thyme leaves
Salt to taste
Freshly-ground black pepper to taste
Method :
About 2 hours before you plan to form the tamales, clean the husks under running
water. Soak them in warm water for 2 hours, or until softened.
Puree the corn, onion, roasted garlic, and stock in a food processor. Transfer
the mixture to a mixing bowl and cut in the butter and shortening.
Using your fingers, mix in the cornmeal, sugar, and salt and pepper to taste
until there are no visible lumps of fat. Fold in the goat cheese. The mixture
will be a lot looser than you think it should be, but when the tamales are
steamed it will dry out.
Remove the corn husks from the water and set aside the best 20 husks. Drain and
pat dry. Tear the remaining husks into 1-inch wide strips to be used for tying.
Lay 2 husks flat on a work surface with the tapered ends facing out and the
broad bases overlapping by about 3 inches. Place about 1/3 cup of masa mixture
in the center. Bring the long sides up over the masa, slightly overlapping, and
pat down to close (If the masa drips out a little at the seam, that is no
problem).
Tie each end of the bundle with a strip of corn husk, pushing the filling toward
the middle as you tie. Trim the ends to about 1/2-inch beyond the tie.
Arrange the tamales in a single layer on a steaming rack, cover tightly with
foil, and steam over boiling water for 45 minutes.
To serve, slice a slit on top of each tamale and push both ends of the tamale
toward the middle to expose the masa. Top with 1 tablespoon of the Fresh Thyme
Butter.
Fresh Thyme Butter: Combine the butter, thyme, and salt and pepper, to taste, in
a food processor until smooth. Place a sheet of parchment paper or waxed paper
on a work surface. Arrange the butter along one long side and form into a roll
about 1-inch in diameter, leaving a 1-inch border of paper. Roll up the butter
in the paper and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
This recipe yields 4 servings