So, off I went. I recalled hearing rumors of asparagus tamales made in central Washington that sell out in a day, which made me think of the asparagus I had in the refrigerator. Given that I've never had those asparagus tamales, I have no idea what to try, but I thought it was worth trying something.
First, I poached a whole chicken last week, saved the stock, and stripped the meat off the bones. I used the stock to make the masa and used most of the shredded meat to stuff the tamales, along with 3/4 pound of fresh asparagus that I blanched and chopped into 2" pieces. I had a little leftover shredded manchego cheese from the marathon brunch yesterday that I was able to use up in a few as well.
The masa was much easier to make than I had expected. I used the heart-healthy recipe (see below), which may not satisfy those who are used to full-lard versions; however, I thought they were more than acceptable. I was also a little worried when it suggested having lots of friends form an assembly line, but that didn't turn out to be necessary. Having the right equipment and an assembly line layout did the trick - I have always thought I'd be a great assembly line factory worker. Maybe I missed my calling!
The chicken and asparagus turned out great - served with a salsa verde - yum. The pork and red chile sauce needs more work.
If you haven't tried making tamales - give it a go. It's much easier than it sounds! Now I get to watch my lemon basil grow from the seeds I also bought at Native Seed Search and look forward to making delicious pesto later this summer!
Heart-Smart Masa
Courtesy of Tantalizing Tamales, by Gwyneth Doland, Rio Nuevo Publishers 2007
Ingredients
- 6 cups masa harina
- 6 cups homemade or low-sodium chicken stock
- 1 cup canola oil
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
In the workbowl of a standing mixer, beat together the masa harina, chicken stock, oil, salt, and baking powder until fully combined.
Simple, huh?! Go on, give it a try!
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