Holiday Tamales

So many tamales to make, so little time. On Saturday we hosted our annual Tamale Fiesta. Starting early in the week, we shopped for our ingredients, prepared many of the fillings and strategized how best to coordinate the production of so many deliciously wrapped packages. Setting aside the time to be together and work cooperatively towards a common goal is a rare occurrence for me these days. So when the work was over and we all sat around a table piled high with five different types of tamales, big heaping bowls of Arroz & black beans and home brewed beer, it all seemed such a blessing.

I won’t go into detail about recipes. I will say I’ve never attempted such a variety at one time. We made the usual pork with red chile-California, chuck roast with chile-ancho, duck with sour cherries, green chile and cheese and for dessert, chocolate ginger tamales.

Using two steamers and a pressure cooker helped a lot to get it all ready at the same time. Otherwise I’m pretty sure we’d have been eating at midnight.

Rellenos

Chile Rellenos is one of those dishes I can always go back to if I need a burst of flavor on a cold night. The recipe here is based on Zarela's Poblanos Rellenos. Thanks Zarela!

Buy a dozen or so fresh, large poblano chiles. Wash them thoroughly and pat dry. Roast the chiles on the stove top or under a broiler. I've roasted them on a barbeque when space is tight in the kitchen. Place the roasted chiles in a closed container to let them steam. When cool, peel off the skin and set aside.

Filling:

Into a large skillet melt 3/4 stick of butter. Add a medium onion and two garlic cloves, chopped and and cook down for about three minutes. Add 1/2 cup each of chopped dried peaches, apricots, prunes and pimiento stuffed green olives (the ones in the jar). Stir and cook for another three or four minutes. Add the following ground spices: 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin, 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon cloves. I grind this in a coffee mill. Finally add about 2 cups of cooked, shredded chicken and stir together until everything is cooked through. Salt to taste

Sauce:

In a large saucepan heat 1 1/2 cups heavy cream until reduced to about a cup. Roast 8 large garlic cloves, 1 onion and four tomatoes under the broiler until they are all charred and softened. Leave the skin on the garlic tomato and onions. After the vegetables cool, peel them and place in a blender. Puree together. Add the cream and return to the saucepan to simmer for about 10 minutes. Salt to taste.

Assembly:

Cut a small slit in the chiles and remove seeds. Stuff all the Poblanos with the chicken mixture and place in a buttered baking pan. Bake for about 15 minutes in a hot oven. Serve with the sauce.