I long for the flavor of tamales de elote, made with puréed fresh corn kernels. But our starchy, flavorful Mexican corn cannot be replaced with United States sweet corn, which creates a terribly insipid, watery effect. So I evolved something a little different using a regular masa mixture with fresh corn kernels and seasonings beaten in.

　　

Ingredients

35-40 dried corn husks

　　2 tablespoons vegetable oil

　　1 medium-size white onion finely chopped

　　2 garlic cloves minced

　　2 poblano chiles roasted, peeled, tops removed, seeded, and diced

　　2 cups fresh or drained canned corn kernels or 1 package (10 ounces) frozen

　　1½ tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves

　　Salt to taste

　　½ recipe Basic Tamal Dough

　　

Step 1

Place the corn husks in a large bowl, cover with boiling water, and let soak while you prepare the filling.

　　

Step 2

Heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat until rippling. Add the white onion and garlic and cook, stirring often, until golden, 2-3 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium; add the poblanos, stirring well to combine, and cook 2 minutes longer. Stir in the corn kernels and season with cilantro and cook until the moisture has evaporated, about another 3 minutes. Season with salt. Cool thoroughly.

　　

Step 3

Fold or beat the corn mixture into the prepared tamal dough, being sure it is evenly distributed. Fill, fold, and steam the tamales, using about ¼ cup of the masa-corn mixture for each husk.

　　

Step 4

Serve with a picante sauce such as Pico de Gallo Norteño or Salsa de Tomatillo con Chipotle.

　　Reprinted with permission from Food from My Heart: Cuisines of Mexico Remembered and Reimagined © 1995 by Zarela Martínez. Published by Wiley.Buy the full book on Amazon.