Tamales con Elote y Chile Poblano (Tamales With Corn and Poblano Chiles)

Name: Tamales con Elote y Chile Poblano (Tamales With Corn and Poblano Chiles)
Ingredients: 35-40 dried corn husks; 2 tablespoons vegetable oil; 1 medium-size white onion finely chopped; 2 garlic cloves minced; 2 poblano chiles roasted, peeled, tops removed, seeded, and diced; 2 cups fresh or drained canned corn kernels or 1 package (10 ounces) frozen; 1½ tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves; Salt to taste; ½ recipe Basic Tamal Dough

By Zarela Martinez

June 21, 2021

Photo of two tamales one closed the other opened with tomatillo chipotle salsa on a plate with a fork and glass of beer.

Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton

I long for the flavor of tamales de elote, made with puréed fresh corn kernels. But our starchy, flavorful Mexican corn cannot be replaced with United States sweet corn, which creates a terribly insipid, watery effect. So I evolved something a little different using a regular masa mixture with fresh corn kernels and seasonings beaten in.

Ingredients

35-40 dried corn husks

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 medium-size white onion finely chopped

2 garlic cloves minced

2 poblano chiles roasted, peeled, tops removed, seeded, and diced

2 cups fresh or drained canned corn kernels or 1 package (10 ounces) frozen

1½ tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Salt to taste

½ recipe Basic Tamal Dough

Preparation

Step 1
Place the corn husks in a large bowl, cover with boiling water, and let soak while you prepare the filling.
Step 2
Heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat until rippling. Add the white onion and garlic and cook, stirring often, until golden, 2-3 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium; add the poblanos, stirring well to combine, and cook 2 minutes longer. Stir in the corn kernels and season with cilantro and cook until the moisture has evaporated, about another 3 minutes. Season with salt. Cool thoroughly.
Step 3
Fold or beat the corn mixture into the prepared tamal dough, being sure it is evenly distributed. Fill, fold, and steam the tamales, using about ¼ cup of the masa-corn mixture for each husk.
Step 4
Serve with a picante sauce such as Pico de Gallo Norteño or Salsa de Tomatillo con Chipotle.