Tamales, made in Canada

TAMALES adapted for Canada

Ingredients for 10 or 12 tamales, according to size:

12 squares (30 x 30 cm) of banana leaves

(sold frozen in Latin American or Asian food stores, I found from Thailand!)
If leaf is broken, add another piece on top to mend it. these should be washed and pat dried.
String to tie each tamal, they end up like a package (see photo below)

For the dough:

corn flour (I use yellow, some cooks use white) Tortilla flour as Maseca gives a strong ash taste, I do not use it. I prefer "pan" cornflour from Venezuela or "Areparina"; do NOT use corn starch, must be corn flour. 1 kilo for 10 - 12 tamales
meat or chicken stock, 2 or 2 1/2 cups per kilo of flour
1/2 squash, spaghetti squash, 2 cups pealed. seeded and pureed in the blender with more chicken stock, about 2 cups per kilo
salt to taste

For the filling
"guizo" sautee 4 large tomatoes, garlic and chopped onions with your own spices (chili powder, pepper, thyme)
meat, 1 tablespoon chopped meat per tamal
chicken 1 tablespoon chopped chicken per tamal o (or 1 boned chicken thigh for 3 tamales)
pork ribs, cut small, 1 for each tamal
bacon, cut, cooked or fried and dried or de-greased (2-4 bits per tamal)
Spanish Chorizo, 1 thin slice per tamal
Other vegetables: chopped carrots, celery, onions, drained chickpeas, 1 tablespoon of fresh coriander and parsley)
other tasty garnishes: 3 pitted olives and 3 capers per tamal, vinegar removed
optional (I do not include these but some cooks do) a slice of cooked potato 1/4 hard boiled egg in each tamal.

TAMALES May be prepared in two stages: cooking meats and broth and making them next day

First wash, cut, condiment or marinate meats of your choice.

If you have leftovers after making the tamales, they are become a great pasta sauce.

Stirfry with 2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic, coarse chopped onions, carrots, celery and peppers (green, yellow, red, mild and one chili pepper all chopped). Add water to make 1 litre of broth, cook for 15 minutes, cool, degrease. May be prepared 1 day ahead.

Making the dough and Filling the Tamales
In a large bowl mix 1 kilogram of corn flour with 2 cups of pureed or processed in the blender (liquefied) of spaghetti squash or "calabaza", or any squash of you choice cooked with skin and seeds removed; mix and add warm broth slowly until it reaches the consistency of pancake or cake mix, thick, not runny, not hard. Add salt to taste if needed.

Filling the Tamales
Place the washed banana leaf square on a plate, drop 1/4 cup dough or "masa" in the center.
Add meats and vegetables, capers and olives, cover with 1/4 cup dough.
Wrap or fold the left and right sides on top, turn over and fold again the top and bottom sides making a square. Tie with string ( hemp or cooking string, not plastic)
Once all tamales are tied and ready, place in large pot with a mesh or some leaves at the bottom so the bottom ones don't over cook or stick. An aluminum pie plate with punched holes works well.
Cover with hot water, bring to a boil, simmer for 1 1/2 hours, drain and serve.
May be refrigerated for 2 or 3 days and reheated.