OMG, I love that tamales gisu can be frozen for when I need a quick meal -- just add a side of fruit! But, ya have to work hard for it first. Still, all my family members love it so making tamales gisu is worth all the effort -- once a year though! It's wonderful to have these on hand for those busy nights and weekends when we have kid's softball and soccer activities -- reduces likelihood of dropping in at Chick Fil A or Subway.
The tamales is one of many foods we inherited from Mexico/Latin America. While the Chamorro version is traditionally wrapped in banana leaves, most tamales in Latin countries are wrapped in corn husks. A few countries use ground rice instead of ground corn, and even fewer have a red side with achote.
I start by softening the corn. It's a simple process -- boil dried white corn in water with a bit of pickling lime for 5 minutes then let it soak for 20 to 24 hours. Easy enough right. The following day, I drain the water, cleaning and rinsing the corn to remove the slippery outer covering. Once done, I spread a thin layer of corn in large baking pans to dry for about 5 hours. Not bad. Now comes the hard part -- I grind the corn in a molino -- a hand-cranked grinder. I wish my countertops didn't have a beveled edge because it would be much easier to attach the molino and grand away. Instead, I secure the thing to a wooden stool and use my bodyweight to immobilize the stool while I work! Here's the link to my written process: Masa Harina. This fresh masa can be fridged for three days before use.
I'm still at an impasse as to which is more time consuming to make -- fresh masa, or the fillings. For my recipe, I use fresh masa for both the red and white side. I add more chicken and bacon to the red, and I add a lot of coconut milk to the white. I'm not sure why folks don't add coconut milk -- because we add coconut milk to everything. It's insanely delish, and gives a yummy contrast to the red. Here's a link to my detailed recipe: Tamales Giso.
When steaming fresh tamales, it takes only 50 minutes. If steaming the tamales when they are frozen, it takes a bit longer -- 75 minutes.
What if you don't want to grind the corn? Check your nearest Mexican or Latin American grocer -- they may have fresh masa. Ask for plain masa that has nothing added to it.
Well, that was my project for this week. It was taxing, but worth every second! I doubled the red batch, and did 2.5 times the white batch to yield a total of 59 red & white tamales, and 3 tamales that had only the white mixture. The white ones would be great as a starch to a meat dish.
:-)
paulaq
For recipes and my Guam cookbooks, visit www.paulaq.com.
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