OK…I’m combining 2 recipes I found online recently into one SUPER-recipe for the Holidays with a Mexi-twist…I’m a big fan of sweet potatoes, so I’m all over this recipe for Chile-Spiced Sweet Potato Tamales.

For the sauce, check out High Desert Foods out of Durango, CO…They brew up some absolutely delicious organic pasta sauces and fruit confitures, and they also have a bunch of great recipes on the site utilizing their products…so order a jar of their smoke-dried tomatoes and make this kick-ass recipe for tamale sauce.

Both recipes are listed after the break…

Smoked Dried Tamale Sauce

Ingredients

1 cup High Desert Smoke Dried Tomatoes , julienne
3 cups vegetable stock or chicken stock
2 tsp olive oil from High Desert Smoke Dried Tomatoes
1 cup finely diced onion
1 small tomato, chopped
1 Tbsp chopped fresh basil
1 tsp chopped cilantro
1 tsp chopped fresh oregano
Salt

Preparation

Combine 1/2 cup of the High Desert Smoke Dried Tomatoes and the vegetable stock in a small saucepan and bring to a boil.

Transfer the mixture to a blender and puree for 1 minute.

Transfer to a clean saucepan and keep warm. In another saucepan, heat the olive oil until lightly smoking. Add the onion and sauté over high heat for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it begins to brown. Add the chopped tomato and sauté for 1 minute. Add the smoke-dried tomato puree and remaining smoke-dried tomatoes. Bring mixture to a boil, add the herbs and season with salt to taste.

Sweet Potato Tamales

Ingredients

1/4 cup (1/8 lb.) butter, at room temperature
2 tablespoons firmly packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 1/2 pounds garnet or jewel sweet potatoes, scrubbed and halved lengthwise
1/4 cup lard or additional butter
1 cup fat-skimmed chicken broth
1 1/4 cups dehydrated masa flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 canned chipotle chiles, drained and minced
Salt and fresh-ground pepper
20 dried corn husks, soaked (see notes)

 

Preparation

1. In a small bowl, mix butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Set sweet potato halves, cut side up, in a baking dish, and rub cut sides equally with butter mixture. Bake in a 350° oven until soft when pressed, about 1 hour.2. Scoop flesh from sweet potatoes (discard skins) into a bowl; mash with a fork until smooth.

3. In a 1- to 2-quart pan over low heat, melt lard. Pour in chicken broth and stir until warm. Add broth mixture to sweet potatoes; mix well. Gradually add masa flour, stirring until well blended. Stir in baking powder and chipotles and season with salt and pepper to taste.

4. Tear 3 or 4 corn husks into long, thin strips. Lay a whole husk flat on a work surface, smooth side down, with one long edge closest to you. Spoon a scant 1/3 cup filling lengthwise down center of husk. Fold bottom edge over filling and roll up tamale. Tie each end with a thin strip of husk. Repeat until all filling is used.

5. In an 8- to 10-quart pan, position a rack at least 1 inch above 1 inch of water; bring to a boil over high heat. Set tamales on rack, lower heat to maintain a simmer, cover, and steam until filling is firm, about 1 hour, adding water to pan as needed to maintain 1-inch depth. Remove tamales and let stand at least 10 minutes before serving.

 

Yield

MAKES: 12 to 15 tamales

Sunset, NOVEMBER 2004