Festival Tamales with Turkey
A soft maize dough enriched with fat, filled with shredded turkey simmered in a sauce of chili and tomatillo, all wrapped in corn husks and steamed. You unwrap the hot packet like a gift.
A soft maize dough enriched with fat, filled with shredded turkey simmered in a sauce of chili and tomatillo, all wrapped in corn husks and steamed. You unwrap the hot packet like a gift.
See these leaf packets swelling with steam: it is the feast laid at the foot of my altars. Into the white maize dough, my maids slipped the flesh of the guajolote, the bare-necked bird, drowned in chili that bites the tongue and tomatillo that stings. Whole baskets were piled high on days when the Sun, my son, had to be sated. Tear the leaf, eat the tender flesh, and let the heat of the chili remind you of the fire that animates all life.
- •Nixtamalized maize masa — abundant (dough wrapper)
- •Turkey meat (guajolote) — according to the feast (noble filling)
- •Dried chilies — to taste (strength and heat)
- •Tomatillos (green tomato) — a handful (sauce acidity)
- •Dried corn husks — as needed (wrapping)
Festival Tamales with Turkey
A soft maize dough enriched with fat, filled with shredded turkey simmered in a sauce of chili and tomatillo, all wrapped in corn husks and steamed. You unwrap the hot packet like a gift.
Why this dish? On great feast days at the Templo Mayor — the sanctuary next to that of Coatlicue — mountains of tamales were cooked to feed the faithful and honor the gods. The tamal, a packet of maize steamed, was both banquet food and offering placed on altars.
See these leaf packets swelling with steam: it is the feast laid at the foot of my altars. Into the white maize dough, my maids slipped the flesh of the guajolote, the bare-necked bird, drowned in chili that bites the tongue and tomatillo that stings. Whole baskets were piled high on days when the Sun, my son, had to be sated. Tear the leaf, eat the tender flesh, and let the heat of the chili remind you of the fire that animates all life.
Ingredients (period version)
- Nixtamalized maize masa — abundant (dough wrapper)
- Turkey meat (guajolote) — according to the feast (noble filling)
- Dried chilies — to taste (strength and heat)
- Tomatillos (green tomato) — a handful (sauce acidity)
- Dried corn husks — as needed (wrapping)
Ingredients
- Masa harina (nixtamalized corn flour) — 300 g (dough)
- Lard or neutral oil — 120 g (dough tenderness)
- Warm chicken broth — 350 ml (hydrate masa)
- Cooked and shredded turkey breast (or chicken) — 300 g (filling)
- Tomatillos (or green tomatoes) — 400 g (green sauce)
- Fresh green chili — 1 to 2 (spiciness)
- Dried corn husks — 12 to 15 (wrappers (to soak))
Method
- Soak the corn husks in warm water for 30 minutes to soften.
- Blend the tomatillos with the chili, simmer the sauce for 10 minutes, season with salt, then mix in the shredded turkey.
- Whip the lard until fluffy, incorporate the masa harina, then gradually add the warm broth to obtain a soft dough that floats in water.
- Spread 2 tablespoons of dough on each drained husk, place a spoonful of filling in the center, fold the husk into a packet and tuck the base.
- Steam the tamales upright, covered, for 50 to 60 minutes, until the dough peels cleanly from the husk.
How it was made : Sahagún describes dozens of varieties of Mexica tamales: with beans, game, fruit, and even offering tamales placed on altars. Turkey (huexolotl) was the most prized domesticated fowl for banquets. Tamales were cooked in large clay pots where steam rose through the stacked packets.
The contemporary twist : Serve the tamal unwrapped on a plate, drizzled with a streak of fresh green sauce and a few toasted pumpkin seeds, 'deconstructed tamal' style.
Sources : Bernardino de Sahagún, Historia general de las cosas de Nueva España, XVIe s. · Sophie D. Coe, America's First Cuisines, University of Texas Press, 1994
Coatlicue · Charactorium
