“Tamales, to me, are the ultimate comfort food,” saysMaricela Vega, the chef at Atlanta restaurant8ARMand founder ofChicomecóatl, an organization centering the foodways of Indigenous diaspora. “They originated in Mesoamerica long before colonization and have been evolving ever since. Because farmers tend to cure and store the maíz that tamales are made from by November, they’ve become a staple dish for the cold winter months. This particular tamal, filled with carrots, habaneros, and garlic, is my celebration of how the harvest from summer and fall floats into wintertime.”
Ingredients
Makes 8
Dough
Carrot Filling
Assembly
Dough
Step 1
Whisk masa harina, salt, and baking powder in a large bowl to combine. Whisk stock and oil in a medium bowl to combine, then gradually add to dry ingredients, mixing with your hands until thick and oozy (dough should be about the consistency of fresh ricotta)—you may not need all of the stock mixture. Cover dough tightly and let sit at room temperature until ready to use.
Carrot Filling
Step 2
Place a rack in middle of oven; preheat to 450°. Spread out carrots, chile, and garlic in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle vegetables with oil; season with salt. Turn to coat, then roast until carrots are tender and starting to brown, about 10 minutes.
Step 3
Let vegetables sit until cool enough to handle, then transfer to a food processor and pulse to a coarse purée. Taste and season filling with more salt if needed. Transfer to a medium bowl.
Assembly
Step 4
Place a steamer basket inside a large pot and pour in water just until it reaches basket. Bring to a simmer.
Step 5
Working one at a time, lay a corn husk vertically on your work surface. Place a golf-ball-size amount of dough just above the center of the husk. Spoon about 1 Tbsp. filling on top and enclose in dough. Fold sides of corn husk up and over dough, then fold the flap closest to you upward to meet the top edge of the upper flap. Turn over so tamal stays closed. Repeat with remaining husks, dough, and filling.
Step 6
Arrange tamales in steamer, flap side down (it’s okay if you need to layer them). Reduce heat to medium, cover pot, and steam tamales 30 minutes.
Step 7
Meanwhile, fill a medium bowl with ice water. Using a vegetable peeler, shave carrot in long ribbons into bowl and let sit until ready to use.
Step 8
To serve, place 2 tamales on each plate and unwrap. Drizzle somePumpkin Hot Sauceover and top with a big mound of mizuna and some carrot ribbons; sprinkle with sea salt.
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