AN ITAL. AR AM BU LA
Confessions of a Foodie
Mushrooms make a tasty meat substitute in vegan tamales •
The steps might seem overwhelming at first glance, but this recipe isn’t that difficult or time consuming. To make it easier, I’ve broken the recipe ingredients and their preparation into chunks, the way I approach it in my kitchen. You could also break up the steps, preparing the mole, mushrooms and prepping the veggies the day before assembly, saving the masa component and corn husk prep for assembly day.
Makes 14-18 tamales
FOR THE WRAPS: 20-25 corn husks
Place corn husks into a large soup pot. Add the husks and fill with water to cover by 2 inches. Bring the pot to a boil and then simmer on low while you prepare the ingredients.
FOR THE MUSHROOMS: 11 pounds button mushrooms
⁄ 2
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Remove and discard the stems from the mushrooms. Brush off any excess dirt or wipe with a slightly damp cloth. Thinly slice the mushrooms. Split them between two large, rimmed baking sheets. Drizzle about a tablespoon of olive oil over each sheet, toss to coat the mushrooms and spread them out evenly — roast for 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven, flip the mushrooms, return to the oven to roast another 15 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with sea salt to taste; set aside.
FOR THE MOLE:
2 fresh poblano peppers (sometimes labeled “pasilla” in grocery stores)
1 pound tomatillos 2 jalapeños
1⁄ 4 medium white onion
2 fat cloves garlic, peeled
1⁄ bunch of cilantro, leaves
3 and stems included
4 leaves romaine lettuce, torn
Water to cover
Extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt, to taste 1⁄ 2
ripe avocado
1 teaspoon sea salt
1⁄ teaspoon dried
2
Mexican oregano
1⁄ teaspoon ground
4 cumin
1⁄ teaspoon dried
4 thyme
While the mushrooms are roasting in the oven, roast the poblano peppers directly on a gas stovetop’s f lames to char skins, rotating as needed, until they blister and blacken evenly — this will take about 8 to 10 minutes. (Alternately, place peppers on a small baking sheet and put under a broiler, turning the poblanos every couple of minutes until blackened.) Remove peppers to a plastic bag and allow to sweat while you work on the next part of the recipe.
Remove the husks from the tomatillos, then rinse to remove the sticky residue. Place in a pot of water along with the jalapeños, onion and garlic. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 5 to 8 minutes or until the tomatillos have turned a dull olive green (careful not to boil too long; you don’t want the skins to split). Remove the tomatillos, garlic and onions to a blender. Cut the stems off the jalapeños. If you don’t mind spicy, add the entire pepper to the blender. Otherwise, split them open and remove and discard the seeds and veins before dropping them into the blender. Add half a cup of the cooking liquid. Blend on high to purée until smooth. Drop in the cilantro, romaine lettuce, avocado, salt, Mexican oregano, cumin and thyme, then blend until smooth. Pour mole into a bowl.
Remove the poblanos from the bag and peel off their skin with your fingers, or use a spoon or the edge of a knife to scrape off the skin (don’t rinse, though, or you’ll rinse off the f lavor you built up by charring). Cut off the stemmed tops, then split the peppers, removing and discarding the seeds and veins. Cut the peppers into strips, then into 1⁄4- inch dice. Stir into the mole. Set aside.
FOR THE MASA:
2 cups solid coconut oil
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 tablespoons sea salt
3 to 31 pounds of freshly ground nixtamalized corn masa
⁄ 2
Place coconut oil, baking powder and salt into the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment. Beat on low for 2 minutes, then switch to high and beat until the coconut oil is light and airy and has tripled in volume, about 10 minutes, stopping to scrape down sides often. Reduce the speed to medium. Add about a cup of masa and beat until smooth. Continue adding a cup at a time, fully incorporating the masa after each addition.
FOR ASSEMBLY:
2 small russet potatoes, peeled and sliced into
1 ⁄4- inch thick strips
1 large carrot, cut into thirds, then cut into inch thick sticks
1 ⁄4
Arrange the roasted mushrooms, mole, masa and vegetables in front of you on a work surface. Drain the husks. Remove one and determine which side is smooth by running your fingernail against each side; the smooth side should be facing up. With the broad end of the husk facing you and the thin, tail end facing away from you, smooth about 2 to 21⁄ tablespoons of masa onto the
2 widest part of the husk. Leave 1⁄ inch of
4 the broad side’s edge and the sides exposed, and stop about 2⁄ of the way up
3 the husk, leaving the tail end of the husk free of masa. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of the mushrooms to the center of the masa. Add a potato strip and a carrot stick, then spoon 1 to 2 tablespoons of the mole over the filling. Bring the sides of the husk up, so they meet at the middle, and tuck one side in and the other over like you would swaddle a baby. Pull up the tail end toward you, folding it snugly against the tamale, so you create a little packet with the top end open, and the bottom securely folded up over the seam. Place on a plate or sheet pan, seam side down. Repeat this process until all the masa is used. Save the leftover mole to use as a garnish when you serve.
Steam the tamales: Add a couple of pennies to the bottom of your pot. Then, add water so that it comes up just under the steamer insert of a traditional tamal steaming pot or a 5-quart pot with a steamer insert (also, see note). Line the steamer’s bottom with 2 or 3 of the leftover corn husks, then add the tamales, standing, open side up. Cover the tamales with more husks or a damp tea towel, then top with a tight-fitting lid (if your lid isn’t secure, first seal the pot with aluminum foil, then cover). Bring the pot to a boil, then lower heat to mediumlow and steam for 11⁄ hours. If you hear
2 the pennies rattling around toward the end of cooking, you’re running low on water. Add 1⁄ cup of hot water by placing
2 the cup up against the inside of the pot; pour the water so that it runs down the interior wall, to avoid saturating the tamales.
Check for doneness: After about an hour and 15 minutes, carefully uncover the pot, remove one tamal to a plate and let it rest for 10 minutes. Carefully unwrap one side of the tamal; if the husk pulls away cleanly, the tamales are ready. If masa sticks to the husk, rewrap and return it to the pot. Continue steaming for 20 minutes or until the husk pulls away cleanly.
Serve tamales with the extra mole verde and, if you want a little more heat, slices of jalapeño. Add a side of Mexican red rice, refried beans or a crisp green salad.
To store and reheat: Let tamales cool completely before placing them into resealable plastic bags and store in the refrigerator (or freezer). To reheat, steam for 10 minutes (steam frozen tamales for about 20 minutes).
Note: Most local supermarkets sell pots for steaming tamales. If yours doesn’t, or if you have a 5-quart stockpot but no steamer insert for it, do one of the following: poke holes into an aluminum pie pan and insert that upside down into the bottom of the stockpot. Place a vegetable steamer basket that opens up like a f lower on top of that, then add your water. Or, line the bottom of your pot with loose wads of heavy aluminum foil, then add your water. Be careful here, though; you don’t want the tamales sitting in the water, so use your judgment on how much water to add.