
Masa dough
3 ½ cups masa harina corn flour (Bob’s Red Mill GF)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 ½ teaspoons garlic powder
½ teaspoon sea salt
⅔ cup olive oil, partially frozen
2 ½ cups vegetable stock, slightly warm
Filling:
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, smashed
1 small leek, cleaned and sliced into ¼ inch pieces
3 tablespoons white wine or vegetable broth
10 ounces cremini mushrooms, brushed clean and sliced into quarters
3 tablespoons capers
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon dried rosemary, crumbled
1 small carrot, scrapped and shredded
1/2 pound asparagus, thick end trimmed and sliced into 1 inch pieces
freshly ground black pepper and salt to taste
24 large dried corn husks plus 5 or more additional husks for making ties and lining the steamer
Directions:
1. Set corn husks to soak in a large baking pan filled with enough hot water to cover and soak until husks are soft and pliable, at least 20 minutes. When husks are soft tear 2-4 husks into strands no thicker than ¼ inch to use for tying ends of the tamale (sort of like a huge wrapped piece of candy). In a large mixing bowl stir together masa harina, baking powder, salt and garlic powder. Spoon in olive oil and use an electric hand mixer to beat until mixture looks sandy. Slowly stream in half of the vegetable broth, continue to beat with the hand mixture and stream in the remaining both until a soft fluffy dough forms. If too dry add a tablespoon of additional broth at a time, if too moist sift in a tablespoon of masa harina. Cover dough tightly with plastic wrap to prevent drying out. 2. Make the filling: Saute in a deep 12 inch skillet over medium heat the olive oil and garlic for 30 seconds until fragrant, then add leek and saute 3-4 minutes until softened, then add wine and deglaze the pan for 30 seconds. Add mushrooms and sweat for 5 minutes, covering half way through to soften mushrooms. Stir in capers, crumbled rosemary, and oregano and remove from heat. Stir in shredded carrot and chopped asparagus, season with pepper and salt and let cool enough to handle.
3. To assemble a tamale spread about 3 heaping tablespoons of dough in the center of large soaked corn husk and pat it into a rectangle shape less slightly more than ¼ inch thick, leaving at least an inch of free space on the husk. If your corn husks are on the small side overlap two or three husks to make one large husk. Spoon 2 heaping tablespoons of filling down the center of the dough, then grab the long ends of each husk and press the dough together to encase the filling. Tuck one side of the husk under the dough to cover it, then wrap the remaining half of the husk around the tamale. Tie both ends of each tamales with a strip of soaked corn husk. Repeat with remaining husks and dough. Line the bottom of a large steamer basket with leftover husks and gently stand tamales upright in the basket but don’t pack them in; tamales will expand during steaming and it’s best to make two batches if you can’t fit them all in the steamer at once. Steam for 40-45 minutes until dough is firm and easily peels away from a corn husk.
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