by ChezSuzanne
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ChezSuzanne's Notes:
Expand1 ounce red onion, finely diced Ask a question about this ingredient
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar Ask a question about this ingredient
2 ears of corn, husks still completely intact Ask a question about this ingredient
1 poblano pepper, roasted, skins and seeds removed Ask a question about this ingredient
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro Ask a question about this ingredient
1 ounce grated Cojita cheese Ask a question about this ingredient
1 1/2 ounce grated Monterey Jack cheese, plus more for topping on the shrimp Ask a question about this ingredient
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lime juice Ask a question about this ingredient
1 tablespoon unsalted butter Ask a question about this ingredient
6 shrimp, peeled and deveined with tails still attached Ask a question about this ingredient
salt and pepper to taste Ask a question about this ingredient
Macerate the red onion in enough red wine vinegar to cover the onion for 20-30 minutes.
Ask a question about this stepCarefully husk both ears of corn, keeping each husk intact. Set aside. Remove the corn silk for one ear of corn and cut off the kernels. Make sure you get as much of the kernels and corn milk as possible. Wrap the other ear of corn for another use. Rinse and dry the husks.
Ask a question about this stepCombine the corn kernels, cheeses, butter, cilantro and lime juice in a food processor and chop for about 30 seconds until fairly well chopped. Place in a bowl and add the macerated red onion, discarding the red wine vinegar.
Ask a question about this stepIdentify a couple of the longest husks and tear into strips. These are your ties to tie the packages. Take a large husk and lay it on a work space. You can also use 2 husks and slightly overlap them. Place 2 spoonfuls of the corn mixture in the middle of the husk(s). Place poblano pepper strip on top. Place a shimp on top of the pepper strips and top with a few gratings of Jack cheese. Now you're ready to wrap your package.
Ask a question about this stepFold over the sides first, being careful not to wrap the package too tightly. Fold up the bottom and while holding that in place, fold down the tips. Slide a tie under the package, wrap it around the sides of the package and tie a knot. It may take a few to get the hang of it. If they're too tight, when you fold down the top, the corn mixture can squeeze out. It better to err on the side of having a smaller amount of corn mixture and a looser package than the opposite. Trust me on this.
Ask a question about this stepPlace horizontally in a steam basket over boiling water; it's ok to stack them if you're making a lot. Steam for 15-20 minutes until the shrimp are done and the cheese is melted.
Ask a question about this stepServe warm on a large serving plate for a side dish or on individual appetizer plates as a first course. Enjoy!!
Ask a question about this stepThanks Steve! I took a week-long class last summer in Albuquerque with one whole day spent making different kinds of tamales. They were my first ones and I found them to be much easier than expected. The biggest tip was to not overfill them!
Beautiful with the fresh corn husks.
Thanks boulangere!! They're easier to work with too :-)
I don't doubt that - very clever of you.
Thanks SKK!! I hope you try them!
It thrills me to no end to see that its not only Nigerian recipes which require folding corn husks or banana leaves. I love the flavours - the shrimps baked and sauced by the chilli corn mix - love it
Thanks so much KB!! Once I get the first couple under my belt, they go pretty fast. But it's a fun way to steam something, and such a fun presentation.
Beautiful presentation and sounds yummy, too!
Thanks, Enchanted Cook!
Love these and the picture, we have often filled our peppers as you have described...it's all delicious!
Thanks lapadia! I made this recipe by stuffing the peppers for a dinner last summer at a friends home in Santa Fe and everyone really loved them. The best part was folks not wanting too much spice, just ate all the filling and left the pepper. Lots of flexibility with this recipe.
This looks great! Love me some tamales!
Thanks MyCommunal Table!
They look and sound beautiful!! Are these inspired by your New Mexico trip? I like that your ingredients are a concentration of interesting flavors...sometimes I get lost in the blandness of the masa.
Thanks dymnyno!! And yes, these were definitely inspired by the trip. I agree with you on the masa. I haven't been happy with the blandness, as you say, and haven't like the amount of lard (or butter) that more traditional recipes call for. And it adds an additional layer of complexity when making these little guys that I chose to eliminate.
Looks beautiful. Love using fresh corn husks! Tamales can be daunting but your recipe makes me believe it is a "can do".
These are really easy since I've simplified the tamale. I agree that the more traditional ones can be daunting!! You also don't need a special steamer for these to hold the tamales upright since these should be steamed horizontal in the steamer and can be stacked. If you have trouble initially with the ties, just tie 2 together and then wrap the package. Where they're tied together will be on the bottom of the presentation anyway. Hope you try them!
Thanks sagegreen! I love your corn recipes this week!!
Fabulous. impressive recipe.
Thanks so much pauljoseph! Hope you try them. They're really tastey.
Eugenia is the author of the book Well-Preserved and writes about homemade food preservation for the Denver Post's Well-Preserved blog.
I have never made tamales of any sort and now I know why, I've been waiting for this FAB recipe to start me off on the right foot, thanks Suzanne! - S