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Nacatamales
From the
Guide of Nicaragra. Visit the Best of
Nicaragua guide for information about food, culture, restaurants and
guides to travel in Nicaragra.
Tamales are found in throughout Latin America.
A version found in Nicaragra, and El Salvador combines an interesting
variety of ingredients including, raisins, capers, and green olives.
The meat used in the recipe may be pork or chicken and sometimes a
combination of both. In Venezuela they are called Hallacas which refers
to the banana leaves used to encase the filling. The version below
suggests plantain leaves but you can substitute corn husks or parchment
paper.
Makes: 10
Dough Ingredients:
1/2 lb of corn flour (Maseca)
4 oz of instant mashed potato mix
1/2 liter of milk
1/2 oz of capers (with their juice)
6 garlic cloves
1 medium-sized green bell pepper
1 medium-sized yellow onion
3/4 lbs of margarine
1 oz of pitted green olives
A splash of Tabasco Sauce
2 cubes of chicken bouillon
1/4 cup of Naranja Agria juice (bitter orange, orange and lime hybrid)
4 oz of whole canned tomatoes
Heat the milk and slowly dissolve instant mashed potato mix into it.
Dissolve corn flour in enough water to produce a thick paste and add to
milk and potato mix. Blend the rest of the ingredients together (except
the margarine) in a blender and add to the corn flour, milk and potato
mix. Melt the margarine into a large pot and slowly add the dough. Mix
until cooked—When the dough stops sticking to the sides of the pot.
To Assemble the Nacatamales You’ll Need:
10 one-foot-long pieces of aluminum foil
10 plantain plant (or banana) leaves cut in
half
Manila rope
1 lb of white potatoes, cut into thin slices
2 medium tomatoes, cut into thin slices
1 medium onion, cut into thin slices
1 green bell pepper, cut into thin slices
30 pitted green olives (3 per Nacatamal)
40 capers (4 per Nacatamal)
2 bunches of mint
1/2 cup of raisins
3/4 cup of raw white rice
2 1/2 lbs of boneless chicken breast
Marinate the chicken breast with Naranja Agria, achiote, ground garlic,
cumin, ground onion, and salt for two hours—All to taste. Cut chicken
breast into medium-sized strips. Soak the raisins and raw rice in water
for two hours. Arrange two halves of the plantain plant leaves in a
t-shape over a one-foot strip of aluminum foil. Place 1 cup of the
cooked dough in their center. Place the following on top of the dough,
in this order:
3 pitted green olives
4 capers
5 raisins
2 medium sized strips of chicken
1 tablespoon of rice
2 slices of potato
1 slice of green bell pepper
1 slice of onion
1 slice of tomato
Top with a small bunch of mint
Close the plantain plant leaf carefully over the ingredients and then
the aluminum foil over the plantain leaf. Make sure the contents are
wrapped in tightly. Wrap the manila rope around the package as you would
a present, tying a double knot when done. Place all 10 Nacatamales into
a steamer cook for 3 hours to allow the raw ingredients to cook
thoroughly.
28cm
tamale steamer
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Notes:
Banana leaves are typically sold frozen in
Latin American and Asian grocery stores.
Naranja Agria - is bitter
orange used in Mexican and other South American cooking. In the U.S. look
for Seville oranges or Seville orange juice.
Bitter Orange Substitute
Diana Kennedy "From My Mexican Kitchen" offers this substitute for
bitter orange juice:
1 teaspoon grated Meyer lemon rind
2 tablespoons Meyer Lemon juice
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
4 tablespoons fresh lime juice
Mix together and use as called for in your recipe. The mixture can be
stored for about 3 or 4 days, refrigerated. |
