flipTamales de Coyoacán Wrapped in Corn Husks
Tamales de Coyoacán Wrapped in Corn Husks
Why this dish? Frida mentioned tamales among the traditional Mexican dishes she prepared; they were also bought piping hot from vendors in Coyoacán for the early morning.
Little parcels of corn masa filled with spicy saucy meat, steamed in dried corn husks. You unwrap them steaming hot; it's morning comfort.
Tamales are my childhood in Coyoacán: at dawn, steam rises from the pot and the whole house smells of corn. You take the husk, spread the masa with your fingertips, a spoonful of chicken in green chile in the center, and you close it like tucking in a child. We eat them with our hands, no ceremony, with a very black café de olla. Diego downs six and swears they're better than all the banquets in Paris.
- •Nixtamalized corn masa — a large bowl (wrapping dough)
- •Lard — to taste (dough tenderness)
- •Dried corn husks — a bundle (wrapper)
- •Shredded chicken in salsa verde (tomatillos, chile serrano) — to taste (filling)
Tamales de Coyoacán Wrapped in Corn Husks
Little parcels of corn masa filled with spicy saucy meat, steamed in dried corn husks. You unwrap them steaming hot; it's morning comfort.
Why this dish? Frida mentioned tamales among the traditional Mexican dishes she prepared; they were also bought piping hot from vendors in Coyoacán for the early morning.
Tamales are my childhood in Coyoacán: at dawn, steam rises from the pot and the whole house smells of corn. You take the husk, spread the masa with your fingertips, a spoonful of chicken in green chile in the center, and you close it like tucking in a child. We eat them with our hands, no ceremony, with a very black café de olla. Diego downs six and swears they're better than all the banquets in Paris.
Ingredients (period version)
- Nixtamalized corn masa — a large bowl (wrapping dough)
- Lard — to taste (dough tenderness)
- Dried corn husks — a bundle (wrapper)
- Shredded chicken in salsa verde (tomatillos, chile serrano) — to taste (filling)
Ingredients
- Masa harina (nixtamalized corn flour) — 500 g (dough)
- Lard or butter — 150 g (tenderness)
- Warm poultry broth — about 400 ml (hydration of masa)
- Dried corn husks — 20, soaked 30 min (wrapper)
- Cooked shredded chicken — 300 g (filling)
- Tomatillos + chile serrano + cilantro — 250 g + 1 + 1 bunch (salsa verde for filling)
Method
- Soak corn husks in hot water to soften.
- Beat lard until fluffy, incorporate masa harina, salt, and warm broth to obtain a soft dough that floats in water.
- Blend tomatillos, chile, and cilantro, reduce to a salsa verde, mix with shredded chicken.
- Spread 2 tbsp dough on each husk, place filling in the center, fold sides then bottom.
- Stand tamales upright in a steamer and cook covered for 60 minutes, until dough pulls away from husk.
- Serve piping hot, to be unwrapped at the table.
How it was made : Corn was soaked in lime water (nixtamalization, a pre-Hispanic technique) then ground on the metate into masa. Tamales were cooked in large clay pots, and street vendors offered them early in the morning in the streets of Coyoacán.
The contemporary twist : Serve them tied with a husk strip in a knot, on a banana leaf, like little gifts to open.
Sources : Diana Kennedy, *The Cuisines of Mexico*, 1972
Frida Kahlo · Charactorium
