Eat: Tamales are classic holiday fare in Mexico. Calavera chef Gustavo Romero shares his favorites.
For chef Gustavo Romero, traditional Christmas food means one thing: tamales.
Romero, the executive chef at Oakland’s Calavera, was raised in Hidalgo, Mexico, where Christmas was an allday family affair, a cooking marathon that culminated in a late-night tamale feast. The corn husk-wrapped packets were always filled with fluffy masa, occasionally tinted in different shades, and mouthwatering fillings. Sometimes those fillings were simple: poblano chile peppers, Oaxaca cheese and salsa verde has always been a favorite. But the shredded chicken tamales Romero will be serving at Calavera during the week leading up to Christmas Day are made with his grandmother’s mole poblano, which calls for dozens of ingredients.
Now Romero is dishing on tamales and traditions, and sharing some of his favorite recipes.
QTell us about your family’s Christmas tamale traditions.
AAll the moms and grandmas get together in the morning. They’ll buy the food and they’ll spend the whole day cooking. We don’t have dinner until midnight. We’ll have mole tamales — that’s a staple — and rajas, which are stuffed with poblano peppers and Oaxaca cheese, and sweet tamales (with) pineapple or other fruit. We always, always, always have tamales on Christmas.
QAre Christmas tamales different from everyday ones?
AIn the area where I grew up, you can find tamales every day. Mole tamales are more of a holiday staple, because of the time it takes to make the mole. My grandma used to make mole for Day of the Dead. She’d keep it in clay pots and cover it with lard. (It) would stay good until Christmas. I have a special place for mole tamales in my heart. I feel like they should always be there.
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QWhat’s the most creative tamale you’ve ever made?
AHuitlacoche tamales, I think that’s one of my favorites. I think the color, the intense flavor of the huitlacoche, it marries well with the masa. It’s different.
QWhat’s the best tamale you’ve ever had?
AA place in Mexico City made these great tamales. They’re huge. You open (one) and you realize it’s a whole piece of chicken in there. I love fluffy tamales — they have to be like a pillow — and those were perfect.
QIf you could make tamales with anyone, who would you choose?
AI would love to make tamales with my grandma. She passed away. The memory of those tamales — that’s why I make them. I want to make sure they taste like (hers). I feel like, if I can make people feel the way I felt when I ate those tamales, I’ll have done my job. Tamales Rajas con Queso (Tamales with peppers and cheese) Makes 15 tamales INGREDIENTS
9 ounces lard or softened unsalted butter
3 pounds prepared masa 2 tablespoons kosher salt 2 tablespoons baking powder
About ¾ cup vegetable or chicken stock
15 corn husks
15 ounces Oaxaca cheese (or mozzarella), cut into 15 batons
4 poblano peppers, roasted, peeled, seeded and cut into ½-inch strips
1 cup salsa verde (see recipe below) DIRECTIONS Using an electric mixer, whip the lard or butter for several minutes until light and airy. Add the prepared masa, salt and baking powder. Add the stock little by little until the right consistency is achieved. The masa mixture should be like a paste, not too thick or loose, and should taste well seasoned.
Fill a large bowl with warm water. Add the corn husks and allow to soften for a few minutes. Transfer corn husks to a layer of clean dishtowels and pat dry.
Place a corn husk on the work surface in front of you. Spread ½ cup of masa dough over the husk in a ¼- to ½-inch thick layer, leaving a 4-inch margin along the bottom edge and a ½-inch margin on the sides. Place a cheese baton and 2 or 3 pepper strips lengthwise down the center of the dough. Add a teaspoon or two of salsa verde. Fold the husk’s left and right sides inward, overlapping in the center. Fold the bottom edge toward the center, but leave the top open. Tie the package with kitchen string to secure. Repeat with remaining tamales.
Place a steamer basket in the bottom of a large, deep stockpot. Add water, making sure the steamer rack is just above the water line. Gently place wrapped tamales, open end up, in the steamer. Cover pot and heat to a slow boil
to produce steam, adjusting heat as necessary. Steam tamales for 30 to 45 minutes until masa is set. Serve warm with more salsa verde on the side. Salsa Verde INGREDIENTS 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1 medium white onion, diced
2 large cloves garlic 1 serrano pepper, diced (for milder salsa, remove seeds) 1 pound tomatillos, husks removed, cut into quarters ½ cup vegetable stock 1 tablespoon kosher salt, plus more to taste ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 big handful cilantro DIRECTIONS
Heat oil in a pan set over medium heat. Add onions and saute until translucent, but not browned. Add the garlic, serrano chile and tomatillos. Add stock and simmer until the vegetables have begun to soften. Season with salt and pepper, and let cool. Pour the cooled mixture into a blender, add cilantro and puree to desired consistency. Taste and adjust seasoning. Ensalada de Betabel (Beet salad) Serves 8 to 12 INGREDIENTS
4 large red beets, washed ½ cup sugar 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar 2 jicamas, peeled and diced 2 apples, peeled and diced 3 oranges, peeled and sliced in wheels
¼ cup merlot or similar red wine
¼ cup fresh orange juice ½ cup peanuts, toasted, coarsely chopped
¼ cup almonds, toasted, coarsely chopped
1 large ripe plantain sliced (optional) DIRECTIONS Place the beets in a large pot, cover with water, and add sugar and sherry vinegar. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and let simmer until tender, about 45 minutes. Strain the beets and reserve leftover cooking water. Dice three beets; reserve the fourth.
In a bowl, mix the diced beets, jicama, apples and oranges.
Cut remaining beet into chunks. Place in a blender and puree with the red wine, orange juice and ¼ cup of the reserved beet cooking juice.
Gently combine the diced fruit, the puree, nuts and plantain. Serve alongside the tamales.