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Naked Tamale with Chile-Cheese Filling

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Makes 4 to 6 servings (or 8 to 12 tamales) 1x

Time About 2 hours, largely unattended

Units Scale

Ingredients

  • 2/3 cup olive oil, plus more for greasing the pan
  • 2 onions, halved and sliced
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 3 red bell peppers, cored, seeded, and sliced
  • 2 poblano or Anaheim chiles, cored, seeded, and sliced
  • Salt and pepper
  • 2 cups masa harina
  • 1–2 cups vegetable stock or water, at room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 4 ounces Chihuahua, Monterey Jack, or mild cheddar cheese, grated (about 1 cup)
  • 1/4 cup sliced scallions or chopped red onion for garnish
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro for garnish
  • 2 cups Salsa Roja or Red Enchilada Sauce or Fast Tomato Sauce, warmed

Instructions

  1. An hour or more before cooking, put 1/2 cup of the olive oil in the freezer to solidify.
  2. Put 2 tablespoons of the remaining oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring frequently, until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the sugar, reduce the heat to medium, and cook, stirring occasionally, until they begin to color, about 5 minutes more. If you’re using fresh bell peppers and chiles, add them to the pan now, along with some salt and pepper. Cover and reduce the heat to low. Cook, stirring occasionally, until very soft and compact, about 25 minutes. If you’re using roasted peppers and chiles, cover and cook the onion as just directed, then add the roasted peppers and chiles after about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat when done. (You can make the filling in advance up to this point. Cool, cover, and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Bring it to room temperature when you’re ready to proceed.)
  3. Heat the oven to 400°F. Grease a deep 9-inch pie plate, standard loaf pan, or a 10-inch cake pan with a little more oil. Bring a kettle of water to a boil. Put the masa harina in a food processor, turn on the machine, and add the stock 1/4 cup at a time until a thick paste forms. (This paste is called a masa, or dough.)
  4. Add the frozen oil, the baking powder, and a large pinch salt. Pulse a few times. Then, with the machine running, add stock 1/4 cup at a time until the masa is the consistency of thick batter. It should take a little tap to plop off a spoon.
  5. Spread half the masa in the prepared pan. Top with the onion-pepper filling and the cheese. Spread the remaining masa on top. Cover the pan with foil and put it in a roasting pan.
  6. Carefully pour boiling water into the roasting pan to come halfway up the pie plate or loaf pan. Put the whole thing in the oven and bake until the masa is solid and pulling away from the sides of the pan, about 1 hour. The tamale will keep warm for 15 minutes or so in the water bath. When you’re ready to serve, cut into slices or wedges, sprinkle with the scallions and cilantro, and pass the warm sauce at the table.

 

— Recipe from How to Cook Everything Vegetarian