Mushroom Tamales

Masa

4 cups short, white grain rice, such

as jasmine, sushi or arborio 2 tablespoons salt

2 teaspoons dried ground turmeric 2 teaspoons black pepper

½ cup olive oil

cup tahini

3 tablespoons almond butter

1⁄3 Filling 1⁄3

cup olive oil

2 tablespoons minced garlic 2 teaspoons cumin seeds

3 cups sliced red onions (from 3

medium onions)

12 cups thinly sliced mixed wild mushrooms, such as shitake, chantarelle, maitake, oyster or chestnut

2 tablespoons black pepper 2 teaspoons ground green

cardamom

2 tablespoons sea salt

Salsa

10 to 12 tomatillos (approximately 2 pounds) 3 tablespoons olive oil

10 to 12 garlic cloves

1 chile negro (dried pasilla chile) 2 dried red peppers (like arbol) ½ cup toasted pumpkin seeds ¼ tablespoons sesame seeds 1 bunch cilantro, bottom 3 inches

discarded

2 teaspoons salt

20 fresh banana leaf pieces, each

roughly 10-by-8-inches 20 pieces of foil, roughly

10-by-8-inches

1 cup pomegranate seeds for

garnish

2 cups herb sprigs, such as mint or

cilantro or herb microgreens Instructions:

To make masa: Soak the rice for 2 to 3 hours. Drain and grind in a food processor with ½ to 1 cup of water until broken and gritty. Combine the rice with 8 cups of water, salt, turmeric and black pepper in a large stockpot and over medium heat, bring to a boil. Cover the stockpot and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring every 5 to 6 minutes adding a cup or two of water as needed. Continue scraping the bottom of the pan so the rice does not stick to it. The rice will cook and steam and thicken.

Add the olive oil, tahini, almond butter and a little more water, and stir vigorously — the mixture should be soft yet fluffy. Continue simmering for another 10 to 15 minutes until the rice is cooked through. The mixture will resemble mashed potatoes and should be soft yet hold its shape. Set aside to cool.

To make filling: In a large sauté pan over high heat, warm the olive oil, fry the garlic and pop the cumin seeds.

Add the onions and cook on high heat for 4 to 5 minutes until golden, stirring constantly, then add the mushrooms and continue cooking on high heat, stirring frequently.

Add the black pepper, cardamom and salt, and cook until the mixture is dry and all the liquid has been absorbed. Set aside to cool.

To make the salsa: Preheat the oven to broil. Spread the tomatillos in a single layer on a baking pan and place in the oven close to the broiler element until the top of the tomatillos have crisped up and almost burned. This takes no more than 3 to 4 minutes, so keep a watchful eye so the tomatillos don’t get overly burned. Remove them from the oven and let cool.

In a small frying pan over medium heat, warm the olive oil and fry the garlic cloves until golden brown. Turn the heat off and add the dried peppers.

In a blender, combine the tomatillos, olive oil with garlic and peppers, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, cilantro and salt, and puree until smooth. Refrigerate the salsa until ready to serve.

To make the tamales: Over a large counter space area, spread 6 to 8 foil pieces and top with banana leaves. Place roughly half a cup of the tamale masa in the middle. Top with 2 tablespoons of mushroom mix. Wrap the tamale with the banana leaves on both sides. Wrap each tamale in the foil, folding and pinching to close the edges tightly.

Heat a large pot with a wire rack on the bottom with 4 to 6 cups of water or use a bamboo steamer. Place the tamales along the edges, leaning on the sides of the pot and piling them 3 to 4 high. Cover the pot tightly and turn the heat to high. When the water has come to a boil, turn it down to medium with the lid on and cook for 30 minutes. Turn the heat off and let the tamales rest for 10 minutes. Using tongs, remove each tamale. They will stay warm for up to an hour. They can also be reheated in the oven in a single layer on a baking pan at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or in a microwave for a minute or two with the foil removed.

Enjoy the tamales with the salsa, pomegranates seeds and fresh herbs. Makes 20 large tamales