imbb 14: tamales gisu

foodgoat hosts this edition of imbb, and the theme is orange! we guamish folk love our orange food--we have orange rice, orange turnovers, and orange stews, mainly due to a staple of the chamorro kitchen, achote--better known as annatto, or achiote. the orange colour comes from the seeds in the pods of bixa orellana (no, not the guy from einstürzende neubauten--although, ha! he was a bad seed), which was supposedly brought over to the island during the spanish exploration days, but has been documented in ancient legend, so i can't say that it was used in emulation of the spaniards' predilection for saffron, but maybe it was. if you know, let me know.

tamales, certainly, were brought over by the explorers, as versions of this are found all throughout latin america and in the philippines, down to the creamsicle-y half orange-half white aspect. made from masa harina and chicken broth, then steamed in banana leaf wrappers, these little savoury gems are a little more work than i am willing to tackle, so these were made by my friend's auntie. thank you auntie! they were delicious. and thank you foodgoat and lady goat, for hosting this time around.

tamales gisu

red tamale:
1/3 c achote seeds
1/2 lb smoky bacon, chopped
1/2 medium onion, diced
1 head garlic, minced
3-4 thai bird or other hot chili peppers, finely minced or ground in a mortar and pestle
1 tbsp salt
1 c white cornmeal or grits, toasted
1 c cornstarch
2-3 c chicken broth, made from stewing chicken simmered with garlic and onion in water, with the cooked, finely shredded chicken meat added in

1. soak achote seeds in 1 c of water until colour has been extracted, usually overnight. discard the seeds.

2. sautée the bacon, garlic, and onion until transparent. add the achote water. add the chili peppers, salt, black pepper and a cup or two of chicken stock. bring to a full boil and slowly stir in the cornmeal until a thick paste has been formed, roughly 10 minutes.

3. dilute cornstarch in 1 to 2 c water. stir in cornstarch mixture and simmer for a few minutes, stirring constantly. remove from heat and stir occasionally.


white tamale:
1/2 medium onion, diced
1 head garlic, minced
1 tbsp salt
1 to 2 c masa harina
2-3 c chicken broth, made from stewing chicken simmered with garlic and onion in water, with the cooked, finely shredded chicken meat added in

1. sautée the garlic and onion until transparent. add salt and a cup or two of chicken stock. bring to a full boil and slowly stir in the masa harina until a soft paste has been formed.

2. remove from heat. cool both mixtures.

assembly:

1. wrap a couple tablespoonfuls of red tamale mixture next to a couple tablespoonfuls of white tamale mixture in a banana leaf or foil. secure well, then steam until cooked.