Ingredients
- Southern Cornbread:
- 24 corn husks
- boiling water
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium chopped onion
- 4 garlic cloves chopped
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- ground cayenne pepper, to taste
- 1 lb. turkey breast shredded
- 1 cup shredded jack cheese
- southern corn bread
- salsa
- 1 cup yellow cornmeal
- preferable stone ground
- 1 cup flour
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1-1/4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup milk or water
- 1 large egg beaten
- 1/8 cup vegetable oil, preferable sunflower
Preparation
Step 1
Whisk cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder baking soda and salt. Make a well in the center. Whisk milk, eggs and oil in another bowl. Pour into well. Stir just until moistened.
Place corn husks in a large bowl and add enough boiling water to cover. Submerge by weighing down with another bowl. Let stand until husks soften, about 1 hour. Drain well, pat dry. Meanwhile heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in cilantro, chili powder, cumin, salt and cayenne pepper. Add Turkey, stir well and heat through. Ad cheese, cool.
To make tamales: Place corn husk on the work surface, Spread 3 tablespoons corn bread batter in a 2-3 inch square in the center of the husk. Add 1 heaping tablespoons of turkey mixture. Top with 1 tablespoon corn bread batter., Fold in sides (the tamales will be about 2-1/2 inches wide). Fold over the ends (tamale will be about 3 inches long). Place smooth side up on the work surface and tie up with kitchen string. Stand tamales up, side by side, in a steamer inserted into a large pot. Add enough water to the pot to barely reach the bottom of the steamer. Cover tightly, bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low. Steam tamales until the batter is firm about 1 hour. The tamales can be made up to 8 hours ahead, cooled and refrigerated. Steam over boiling water 15 minutes to reheat. Serve hot with salsa on the side.