Recipe: Mushroom and Goat Cheese Tamales with Mole Verde (2024)

For the mole verde:

• 1

  medium onion, cut into eighths

• 5 cloves

  garlic

• 2

  jalapeños peppers

• 2

  poblano peppers

• 5

  tomatillos, husks removed

• 1/4 cup

  pumpkin seeds

• 2 tablespoons

  pine nuts

• 1/2 cup

  packed fresh cilantro leaves

• 1 tablespoon

  fresh oregano leaves

• 1 teaspoon

  kosher salt

• 2 cups

  chicken or vegetable stock, divided

• 2 tablespoons

  vegetable oil or lard

• Juice of 1 lime

  See Also

  Green Chile Enchilada Recipe - Two Peas & Their Pod

For the filling:

• 1/4 cup

  olive oil

• 1 1/2 pounds

  crimini mushrooms, stemmed, cleaned, and thinly sliced

• 8 ounces

  shiitake mushrooms, stemmed, cleaned, and thinly sliced

• 1

  medium onion, thinly sliced

• 2 cloves

  garlic, thinly sliced

• 1 tablespoon

  fresh oregano leaves, chopped

• 1 1/4 cups

  soft goat cheese

For the masa:

• 3 1/2 cups

  Maseca instant corn flour

• 1 tablespoon

  baking powder

• 2 teaspoons

  kosher salt

• 1 1/4 cups

  vegetable shortening or lard

• 5 cups

  chicken stock, vegetable stock, or water

To assemble:

• 20

  dried corn husks, at least 6 inches wide at the bottom

1. Make the mole verde: Heat broiler to high. Line a baking sheet with foil. Place onions, garlic, jalapeños, poblanos, and tomatillos on the baking sheet and broil until charred, turning occasionally. Remove vegetables as they become charred.

2. Let peppers cool slightly, and then remove charred skin, stems, and seeds.

3. Toast pumpkin seeds and pine nuts in a dry frying pan over medium heat until golden, about 3 minutes.

4. Place onion, garlic, jalapeños, poblanos, tomatillos, pumpkin seeds, pine nuts, cilantro, oregano, salt, and 1 cup stock in a blender. Purée until smooth.

5. Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Once shimmering, carefully add mole, stirring constantly. Cook until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Then add remaining 1 cup of stock and cook, stirring frequently, another 5 minutes.

6. Stir in lime juice. Taste and add more salt as needed. Keep warm until ready to serve, or cool completely, cover, and refrigerate for up to a week.

1. Make the filling: Heat oil over medium-high heat in a large frying pan. Once oil is shimmering, add enough mushrooms to completely cover the bottom of the pan and let cook, undisturbed, until starting to brown. Add more mushrooms, about 1 cup at a time, letting the first ones brown before adding the next until all the mushrooms have been added to the pan.

2. Add the onions, garlic, and oregano, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are slightly browned and tender. Remove from heat and let cool.

1. Make the masa: In a large bowl, combine the Maseca, baking powder, and salt.

2. Heat vegetable shortening and stock in a large pot over medium heat until shortening is just melted.

3. Pour into Maseca mixture and mix until a soft dough forms (I start with a wooden spoon and then switch to my hands to make sure it is well-mixed). You want the masa to be very soft, but not runny, like the consistency of very fluffy mashed potatoes. Cover with plastic wrap until ready to use.

1. Make the tamales: Place dried corn husks in a large heatproof bowl. Cover with very hot water, weigh husks down with a heavy plate to fully submerge, and let soak at least 30 minutes or until soft and pliable.

2. Fill a large tamale steamer with enough water to reach the rack where the tamales will sit. If you don't have a tamale steamer, place a wire rack in the bottom of a large pot with a tight-fitting lid, and add enough water to just come up to the rack. Place the steamer over medium heat and cover. Once water is boiling, reduce heat to a vigorous simmer.

3. Dry one corn husk on both sides. Spread about 1/3 cup of masa on the wide end of the corn husk, using a spoon or your fingers to press into place. Leave about 1/2-inch border on both sides, but not the bottom.

4. Place about 2 to 3 tablespoons of the mushroom filling in a line down the middle of the masa, then top with about 1 tablespoon goat cheese.

5. Fold one side of masa over the filling until the two edges of the corn husk meet, and holding onto one side of corn husk, pull the other side toward the middle to press the two edges of masa together. Fold the pointy end of the corn husk up over the large end and place on a clean baking sheet. Repeat with remaining corn husks.

6. Place tamales vertically, open-side up in the tamale steamer, keeping them snug in the pot so they don't unravel during cooking. Make sure water is at a steady simmer and producing lots of steam. Cover tightly and steam until masa is cooked through and not doughy in the middle, about 45 minutes. Check occasionally and add more water if the pot looks dry.

7. Remove from heat and let sit 5 to 10 minutes before removing from the pot. Tamales can also be left in the pot, covered with a clean towel (then covered with the steamer lid) for up to an hour before serving. They will stay warm and soft if you want to make them in advance.

8. Serve tamales with warm mole verde on the side.