Recipe For Tamale Pie Loaf Becomes Mexican Polenta

I don't make preserves very often.

But.

Based on my mom's tamale pie and a few canned ingredients, this recipe has been a favorite of mine since I tried and failed a few years ago.

My mom's recipe calls for cornmeal cooked in milk, and I was horrified by the proportions: one part cornmeal to one and a half parts milk. He said the resulting mousse would be tough (and inedible - my words), and he was right. So maybe that was the recipe. . .

With cornmeal intact and no cornmeal, I used polenta and created my own 1:3 ratio, which worked well. The cooked polenta should be firm enough because you have to put a lot of wet ingredients into it to make the finished dish, but it should not be as hard as a scallop or have the consistency of the white paste we used in elementary school. school.

Adding eggs thins it almost to souffle level. And if I make it in late summer and I have plenty of fresh corn and peppers on hand, I'll roast the corn, roast the peppers, and use that instead of the canned variety. I will probably use fresh, diced tomatoes.

But since it was still winter, I, following my mother's tradition, used a lot of canned goods. Let me tell you, this tamale-style cake that I call the Mexican Ribbon is easy, delicious, and a huge hit with diners.

Guys, check your closets, you're going to need some boxes.

Christina's Mexican Polenta

Adapted from her mother's tamale pie recipe.

Ingredients:

2 cups half-ent

6 glasses of water

1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt

2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons unsalted butter, divided

1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped

4-5 cloves of garlic, peeled, crushed and finely chopped

4 whole canned chiles, diced (or 1 7-ounce green chile, diced )

1 box of whole corn

1 diced tomato (14.5 ounces), best grilled

1 tablespoon of grandma's chili powder (my mom always used it)

1 whole chipotle in chopped adobo sauce

4 eggs, well beaten

1 cup grated cheddar or jack cheese, or a combination thereof

1/2 teaspoon Cholula hot sauce

Kosher or sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.

prepare:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Bring water and a teaspoon of salt to a boil.

Stirring all the time, add the polenta and beat until smooth.

Reduce the heat and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, until the polenta pulls away from the sides of the pan and starts to stick to the bottom.

Remove from heat and stir in 2 tablespoons of butter until melted and mixed, adding any polenta that sticks to the pan. Sit aside.

Heat the remaining 2 teaspoons of butter in a cast iron or other heavy skillet over medium heat and cook the onion and garlic until soft and lightly browned.

Add the chopped chilies, adobo chilies, and chili powder and stir for another 30 seconds.

Add the tomatoes, corn and hot sauce and stir well to remove any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.

Remove the pan from the heat and pour the sauce over the waiting ribbon. Mix well.

Adjust seasoning to taste.

Let the mixture cool for about 10 minutes, then add the beaten eggs and mix well, then add the cheese.

Pour the mixture into a well-greased 9-by-13-inch baking dish, spread around the sides, and bake for about 45 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and springs back when poked with your finger.

To take with you to the party, cover the pan with aluminum foil and place it in a cardboard box slightly larger than the pan. Once at your destination, cut the polenta into small squares.

the first!

Copyright © 2005-2011 by Christina Cox. All rights reserved

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