118 DECEMBER 2020
Oyster Mushroom Tamales with
Mole Encacahuatado
ACTIVE 1 HR 30 MIN; TOTAL 3 HR 10 MIN
SERVES 12Roasting oyster mushrooms concentrates
their flavor for a hearty vegetarian tamale
filling. Paired with velvety, intensely aro-
matic peanut mole, or mole encacahuat-
ado, these tamales will satisfy everyone at
your table.22 oz. oyster mushrooms, large
clusters separated
7 Tbsp. canola oil, divided
13 / 4 tsp. kosher salt, divided, plus more
to taste
11 / 4 tsp. black pepper, divided, plus
more to taste
3 / 4 cup unsalted roasted peanuts, plus
chopped peanuts, for garnish
2 garlic cloves
2 whole allspice
1 (2-inch) cinnamon stick
2 small tomatoes
1 small yellow onion, quartered
4 dried guajillo chiles (about^3 / 4 oz.),
stemmed and seeded
2 cups vegetable broth (such as
Zoup!)
3 canned chipotle chiles in adobo
sauce plus 1 Tbsp. adobo sauce
24 dried corn husks (about 9 inches
long and 7 inches wide at widest
point), plus more for lining steamer,
soaked at least 1 hour or up to
overnight
Masa Preparada for Tamales
(recipe p. 117)
Chopped fresh cilantro, for garnish- Preheat oven to 450°F. Toss together
mushrooms, 5 tablespoons oil, 1^1 / 4 tea-
spoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper on a
rimmed baking sheet. Bake in preheated
oven until mushrooms are golden brown
and crispy around the edges, 20 to 26
minutes, stirring once after 15 minutes.
Set aside to cool, about 20 minutes. - Combine peanuts, garlic, allspice, and
cinnamon stick in a large saucepan. Cook
over medium, stirring often, until lightly
toasted and fragrant, 2 to 4 minutes.
Transfer mixture to blender; set aside. - Return saucepan to heat over medium-
high. Add tomatoes, onion, and 1 table-
spoon oil. Cook, turning occasionally,
until blackened in spots, 6 to 8 minutes.
Add guajillo chiles; cook, turning often,
until darkened in spots, 1 to 2 minutes.
Carefully add broth, chipotle chiles, adobo
sauce, remaining^1 / 2 teaspoon salt, and
remaining^1 / 4 teaspoon pepper. Bring to a
boil over medium. Cover and remove from
heat. Let stand until chiles are softened,
about 10 minutes. Transfer to blender
with peanut mixture. Secure lid on blender,
and remove center piece to allow steam to
escape. Place a clean towel over opening.
Process until smooth, about 1 minute.- Return saucepan to heat over medium-
low, and add remaining 1 tablespoon oil.
Carefully add peanut sauce, and reduce
heat to low. Cook, uncovered, stirring often
to prevent scorching on the sides and bot-
tom of saucepan, until slightly thickened
and reduced to about 4 cups, about 10
minutes. Transfer mixture to a medium
bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Let cool slightly, about 20 minutes. - Place 1 corn husk on a clean work
surface with narrow end pointing away
from you; pat dry. Using back of a spoon,
spread about^1 / 4 cup masa preparada
lengthwise in center of corn husk in a 5- x
4-inch rectangle of even thickness. Spoon
11 / 2 tablespoons peanut mole over masa,
leaving a^1 / 2 -inch border of masa above
and below the mole. Arrange 3 to 4 mush-
rooms lengthwise in center of mole. Fold
one side of husk over so that the masa
encases the filling. Fold top end of the
corn husk down toward the center, and
roll to wrap remaining husk around the
tamal, leaving bottom end open. Repeat
with remaining husks, masa preparada,
mole, and mushrooms. Reserve leftover
mole for serving. - Fill a large stockpot with 1 inch of water.
Place a steamer insert (at least 7 inches
deep) in stockpot, ensuring water does not
touch bottom of steamer. Line bottom and
sides of steamer with corn husks. Stand
tamales vertically in steamer, with open
ends up, in a tightly packed single layer.
Use aluminum foil to build a ring inside pot
to hold tamales upright if needed. - Heat pot over medium-high until steam
is visible, 5 to 8 minutes. Place a layer
of corn husks on top of tamales. Cover
tamales with a clean kitchen towel, and
cover with lid. Reduce heat to low, and
cook 45 minutes. To test doneness, care-
fully uncover pot, and remove 1 tamal.
Cover pot, and allow remaining tamales
to keep cooking. Let tamal rest 10 min-
utes before unfolding. If masa sticks to
corn husk, rewrap tamal, and return to
steamer basket. Continue cooking tama-
les 5 minutes before checking again for
doneness. If corn husk pulls away cleanly
from masa, turn off heat, and let tamales
rest in pot, lid removed, towel and husks
in place, for 15 minutes. - Reheat remaining peanut mole over
low, and thin with a splash of water if
needed to loosen. Serve tamales hot with
peanut mole, peanuts, and cilantro.
WINE Lightly sweet, robust Lambrusco:
Cleto Chiarli Centenario Amabile
NOTE Dried corn husks can be found in
Latin markets or online.