Athenaeum Petite Green Corn Tamales Preparation: 1 hour Cooking: 1 hour Serves: 12 guests 12 ears of yellow corn 8 ounces corn meal ½ cup shortening ½ cup butter ½ cup sugar ½ cup whipping cream 1 teaspoon salt 12 (½-ounce) 2-inch sticks of sharp cheddar cheese 12 2-inch strips Ortega green chilies (canned)
Cut both ends off each ear of corn, remove, and save husks for wrapping tamales. Cut kernels off cob. In a food processor, grind the kernels with corn meal. Beat shortening and butter together until creamy. Add sugar, cream, and salt. Add corn mixture and mix well. For each tamale, overlap 2 cornhusks. Spread a tablespoon of corn mixture lengthwise onto husks, toward the top. Place 1 cheese strip and 1 chili strip on top of mixture. Top with a little more corn mixture. Bring short edges of the corn husks over the filling to cover completely. Fold the bottom end of the husk over the packet while turning the tamale open end up so as not to spill the filling. Stand tamales (open end up) on a wire rack in a deep saucepan. Lean them against inside of pan to keep them from falling over. Cover and steam tamales for 40-45 minutes. Let stand for 30 minutes before removing from pan.
Inspired by one of the oldest Mexican restaurants in Los Angeles, El Cholo, these lighter vegetarian versions of a traditional tamale have delighted the tastebuds of hundreds of Athenaeum guests, including the Grammy Award-winning Mariachi Divas.
21
