Stuffed Corn Husks Food

STUFFED CORN HUSKS

Steps:

• Remove corn from husks, trying not to tear the husks.
• Fill the husks with shrimp, scallops and parboiled lobster or crab claws. Sprinkle with wine and scallions, and salt and pepper.
• Bring husks back together and tie top with a piece of husk. Place on hot grill for 15 minutes, turning several times.

FIRE ROASTED SNAPPER WRAPPED IN GREEN CORN HUSKS WITH CHARRED CORN-CHARRED JALAPENO SALSA, AND JALAPENO PESTO

Steps:

• Remove the very outer husks from the corn. You will need 8 for wrapping the fish. Soak the husks for about 30 minutes. Peel back the inner husks, remove the silks, and close the husks around the ears, and soak for 30 minutes. Heat the grill to high. Grill the corn until the kernels are golden brown and slightly charred, about 15 minutes. Remove the kernels from the corn and place in a bowl. Save the cobs for the pesto, recipe below.
• Brush the jalapenos with oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill until charred all over, about 6 minutes. Dice chiles, including skin and seeds, and add 2 peppers worth to the corn with the onion, lime juice, honey, 2 tablespoons canola oil, cilantro and season with salt and pepper. Save the remaining jalapeno for the pesto
• Remove the corn husks from the water and pat dry. Brush the snapper on both sides with oil and season with salt and pepper. Place 2 husks flat on a work surface with the tapered ends facing out and the broad bases overlapping by about 3-inches. Place 1 fillet in the center and bring the longs sides up over the fish, slightly overlapping and pat down to close. Tie each end of the bundle with string and trim the ends to about 1/2-inch beyond the tie. Brush the bundles on both sides with oil and place on the grill. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes per side or until the fish is just cooked through.
• Brush cut side of limes with some canola oil, place on the grill, cut side down and grill until slightly charred, about 1 minute. Serve alongside the fish.
• Combine cilantro, grilled and diced jalapenos, garlic, pine nuts, salt and pepper in a food processor and process until coarsely chopped. With the motor running, slowly add the oil and process until emulsified. Scrape into a bowl.
• Scrape milk and any remaining kernels from grilled corn by standing cobs in bowl and running a knife blade down the cob. Stir the milk and scrapings into the pesto and serve.

STUFFED CORN HUSKS

Steps:

• 1. Remove the husks from the corn and set aside. Scrape the kernels from the cobs and reserve the cobs. 2. Put the kernels in the container of an electric blender or food processor and blend or process very briefly at low speed. Do not liquefy. Scrape from the blender into a bowl and add the egg, sugar, salt, cream cheese, butter, baking powder, and cornmeal. The mixture should be on the heavy side. 3. Divide the mixture into 12 and place each portion on a double husk, roll to enclose, and then wrap in aluminum foil. 4. Place a layer of corncobs in the bottom of a large pot and add the water. Place the packages on top of cobs, cover, and steam for 45 minutes, or until done.

NEW CORN-STUFFED TAMALES (TAMALE DE ELOTE) -- MAYAN

Steps:

• Masa harina: This is cornmeal that has been prepared with lime or wood-ash lye water. It's different from ordinary cornmeal, cooks up softer, absorbs lots of fat during its cooking, holds together better in tortillas, etc. It's available from Mexican food stores.
• To roast the fresh corn: just put them (in their husks) in a 400 degree oven for 5 minutes. Husks and silk will peel off easily. Then scrape off kernels, standing cob in a big frypan to catch them. Depending on the ears, it will take 2-4 ears to make 1 1/2 cups of kernels.
• Cornhusk tamale wrappers: The ones you just prepared are probably dried out and frizzeled. If you've saved and dried husks, steep them in boiling water to cover (poured over them, not cooked) while roasting and scraping the corn. Otherwise, you'll have to use foil wrappers.
• Simmer milk and corn for about 10 minutes. Strain the corn, reserve the milk, and puree 1/2 cup of the kernels with this milk, reserving the rest for putting in the tamale dough. Add the puree to the masa, mix vigorously with spoon and whisk. In a separate large bowl, whip the soft butter, baking powder, and salt together until very fluffy. Start adding the masa mixture about 1/4 cup (guesstimated) at a time whisking and beating vigorously after each dough addition. Spend 15 minuts at least beating the masa mix into the butter. Fold in the green chile, the remaining cup of corn kernels, and grated cheese.
• Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces, about 4 Tbsp each. Pat each piece into a rectangle on a trimmed cornhusk to form a square or rectangle, leaving a husk border at the edges of the tamale at least 1 inch. Now fold up the rectangle along the length of the cornhusks and pinch it into a roll, loosely. Roll the husk up completely around the dough roll. Tie the ends with strips of cornhusk (traditional), or string (easier). The wrapping shouldn't be totally tight, so steam can get inches Place the wrapped tamales seam-side down on the rack of any kind of steamer (wok with a rack and tight cover will do, I use big enameled cast-iron frypan with tight lid). Tamales shouldn't touch the boiling water. Steam for 30 minutes. Let cool slightly and serve (diners unwrap their own) with any kind of hot tomato or other type of sauce. Those celebrating New Corn eat it without sauce, but fat or butter is sometimes available.

TRADITIONAL CORN HUSK TAMALES

Steps:

• To prepare chile paste:.
• Break caps off all red chiles and shake seeds out. Soak red chiles in hot water until soft. Blend or process chiles into a paste using a small amount of water in which they were soaked to help it move in the food processor or blender. Put paste through a sieve to remove the skins. Throw skins away. This may be made way ahead of time and refrigerated until you make the tamales.
• To prepare meat:.
• Use the cheapest roasts you can find! Try to cook the meat the day before assembling tamales, keeping it in the refrigerator until tamale-making time. Cut meat into large chunks. Cover meat with water in a very large pot. Add 6 to 12 garlic cloves and 2 or 3 tablespoons salt. Cook meat, covered, for 3 hours or until meat is tender and falling apart. Remove meat from juice and shred. SAVE THE JUICE. Mix meat sauce with the meat.
• To prepare meat sauce:.
• Melt 2/3 cup lard or Crisco and add 2/3 cup flour. Boil for 2 minutes. Pour over shredded meat and mix. Add chili paste, one cup at a time, to taste. Add 1 tablespoon of cumin. Add salt and pepper to taste.
• To mix masa:.
• Place 12 pounds masa (room temperature) in a very large pan and mix with 1 1/4 cups lard or Crisco, 2 tablespoons salt, 2 tablespoons baking powder, 1 cup chile paste and 2 cups meat broth.
• Mix with hands. Add more meat broth (about 1 cup). Add more chile paste for color if desired. Work all ingredients together with hands for about 10 minutes. The dough is ready when a small lump floats slowly to the bottom of a glass of water.
• To assemble tamales:.
• Soak corn husks in hot water until soft. Using the larger husks, place each husk waxy side up (ribbed side down). Spread masa onto each husk out to the wide edge. Place a small portion of meat in the center of masa. (You may place a stuffed green olive on the meat if you care to.) Roll husks and fold back, wide sides to center, then tapered flap up.
• Set a wire rack or vegetable steamer in the bottom of a large kettle. Put water in kettle just up to the bottom of the rack or steamer. Set tamales in kettle standing on end. Pack them in, allowing room for expansion of masa as they cook. Steam for about 20 to 40 minutes, or until masa pulls away from corn husk easily.

TOMATOES STUFFED WITH GRILLED CORN SALAD

Steps:

• Pull back corn husks, leaving them attached at base of ear. Remove and discard silk; pull husks back over corn. Place ears in large bowl; cover with cold water. Let soak 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, cut off and discard top third of tomatoes. Using a paring knife, cut around wall of tomato to loosen flesh. Gently squeeze out seeds; discard. With a melon baller, scoop out tomato interiors, leaving the wall intact. Coarsely chop interiors; transfer to a large bowl.
• Heat grill to high; lightly oil grates. Drain corn; arrange ears on grill. Cover and cook, turning occasionally with tongs, until husks are slightly charred and corn is tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove ears from grill. Holding bottom of hot ears with a towel, peel back husks and cut kernels off cob; transfer to bowl with tomatoes.
• Add scallions, all but 2 tablespoons goat cheese, vinegar, and oil. Season with salt and pepper; toss to combine. Spoon filling into hollowed tomatoes; sprinkle with remaining goat cheese and, if desired, bacon.

CHILES STUFFED WITH CORN & CREMA

Steps:

• Over an open flame of a gas stove or barbeque grill or in a dry cast-iron or nonstick skillet over high heat, roast the chiles until they are charred on all sides. This will take a few minutes over an open flame and about 10 minutes in a skillet.
• Remove the chiles from the heat and seal in a plastic bag for 5 minutes. This will create steam and allow the skins to separate from the flesh. If you don't have a plastic bag, place the chiles in a bowl and cover tightly with aluminum foil or plastic wrap.
• Peel away the skins. Cut a slit down one side of each roasted and peeled poblano chile, starting just under the stem and going all the way down to the tip. Remove all the seeds and as much of the veins as you can, being careful not to rip the chile. Set aside.
• If you are using fresh corn, husk the corn, remove the silks, and slice the kernels from the cobs with a knife. Pour the oil into a large sauté pan set over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the onion and garlic and sauté until the onion becomes translucent, about 2 minutes. Add the corn kernels, season with the salt and pepper, and continue cooking for 5 minutes, or until the corn begins to just turn a golden brown color. Set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 375°F.
• Stuff 1/2 cup of the sautéed corn mixture into a chile. Top the corn with 1/4 cup shredded cheese, 1 1/2 tablespoons crema, and another 1 1/2 tablespoons shredded cheese. The chile should be fat and full. Place the stuffed chile, slit side up, in a baking dish and repeat with the remaining chiles. (The size and shape of the baking dish is not important, as long as the chiles are placed in a single layer.) Arrange the chiles side by side in the dish; they can be touching, if needed. It's a good idea to select a dish that you would be happy taking to the table, as the chiles are best eaten straight from the oven.
• Bake for 10 minutes. Then broil for 5 minutes, or until the cheese turns golden brown and bubbly.
• Serve warm in the baking dish or transfer to a serving platter.
• INGREDIENTS
• Poblano Chiles
• There really is no substitute for the rich-tasting and slightly hot poblano chile. Resist using a bell pepper in its place because the flavor and color of the dish will not be the same.
• Frozen Corn
• If you are using frozen corn, measure the amount needed before defrosting.
• Mexican Crema
• Do not substitute sour cream for the crema in this recipe because sour cream tends to separate when baked. A suitable substitute would be crème fraîche.
• TECHNIQUE
• Removing Corn Kernels
• I find that the easiest way to do this is to work with the corn in a horizontal position and essentially slice four sides off of the ear of corn. You will need a large chef's knife. Place the corn on a cutting board lengthwise in front of you and position the tip of your knife blade on the top right side of the corn then slice off the entire right side. To help avoid cutting into the cob, place your blade one kernel in from the edge. Rotate the ear of corn clockwise and repeat with the remaining three sides.
• ADVANCE PREPARATION
• The chiles can be roasted a day in advance and kept covered in the refrigerator. The corn mixture also can be sautéed ahead of time. The chiles can be assembled a few hours in advance, but should be baked just before serving.