Readers DISH {Smoked Turkey Tamales}
If you’re just joining today, I’m revealing my favorite mouthwatering answers to the question of the week:
What signature dish are you contributing to this year’s Thanksgiving meal?
I love this next one because it’s SO Austin-style… a Southwestern twist on the requisite “Thanksgiving leftovers.” Nicole, over at One Simple Addition, sent us this recipe from the Lake Austin Spa cookbook, one of my all-time favorites. It’s full of delicious & seasonal recipes that also happen to be really good for you. Great spas… now that’s something to be thankful for… *sigh*
Smoked Turkey Tamales
With Thanksgiving right around the corner, we’re already looking forward to a turkey feast. So what will you do with your leftovers? We suggest Chef Terry Conlan’s Smoked Turkey Tamales!
- 4 cups masa harina de maiz
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 cups warm chicken stock
- 8 tablespoons light butter, softened, whipped fluffy
Knead the masa, salt and stock together until you have a soft, smooth dough. Gently work in the softened butter. Spray a two-foot square piece of aluminum foil with non-stick spray, then, using a rolling pin, shape the dough on the foil into a 10 by 16-inch rectangle.
- 1 large poblano chile, roasted, peeled, seeded, cut in strips
- 1 large red bell pepper, roasted, peeled, seeded, cut in strips
- 1 large carrot, julienned, blanched
- 1 medium potato, julienned, blanched
- 1 medium zucchini, julienned, blanched
- 1 medium onion, sliced, sautéed with non-stick spray until browned
- 1/4 cup raisins
- 1/2 cup chile pasilla sauce (authentic Mexican salsa)
- 1 1/2 pounds smoked turkey breast, cubed
Layer half the vegetables and raisins in a 4-inch wide strip, lengthwise, down the center of the dough. Drizzle with half the chile sauce, then layer on the turkey and finally the remaining vegetables, raisins, and sauce. Gently bring up the two sides of the foil bordering the long sides of the tamale until they meet above the tamale (this is easier if you have a second pair of hands – one to bring up each side.) Try to bring the foil to form in such a way as to crimp the two long sides of the dough together, in effect creating a long cylinder with the dough surrounding the filling. Roll the foil up, and crimp to close the ends to enforce this cylindrical shape. Steam for 1 1/2 hours. Allow to cool somewhat, then unmold and slice across the cylinder into 1 1/4 inch slices. Serve warm on a bed of chile pasilla sauce, topped with a drizzle of avocado sauce.
