Braised Duck Tamales With Sour Cherry Mojo Recipes

BRAISED DUCK TAMALES WITH SOUR CHERRY MOJO

Steps:

• In a bowl, combine the kosher salt and minced thyme and mix it well. Rub the salt and thyme mix on both sides of the duck, layering it on thickly. Place legs in a shallow pan and chill, covered, overnight. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In the same shallow pan, add in the onion, garlic, star anise, canela, and duck fat over the legs. Cover the pan with aluminum foil. Roast in the oven for 3 hrs. Meanwhile, soak the cornhusks in hot water for 1 hour. To make the dough for the tamales, moisten the instant corn flour with the hot water. Set aside. Beat the shortening in a mixer till creamy and fluffy, about 10 min, then mix in the corn flour and chicken stock. After 3 hrs remove the legs from the fat, remove the outer skin and shred the meat away from the bone and set aside. To assemble the tamales, open the soaked cornhusks and add in 2 Tbsp. of dough. Spread the dough over the cornhusk leaving a 1/2-inch border. Put 1 Tbsp. of the shredded duck meat in the center in a line. Fold the cornhusk over, enclosing the duck in the dough, and secure the tamale with a string or possibly ripped-off piece of the cornhusks. Repeat the process till all the dough and filling is finished. In a double boiler or possibly steamer, steam the tamales for 20 min. Turn off heat and allow to sit for 10 min before serving. To make the Sour Cherry Mojo: Soak the dry cherries in a bowl with red wine for 1 hour. In a medium saucepot, heat 1 Tbsp. of oil over medium-high heat. When the oil has begun to smoke, add in the shallots, chipotle, and garlic. Cook for 5 min then deglaze with red wine vinegar and duck stock. Cook for 3 min then add in the cherry mix. Cook for 30 min till the liquid has thickened. Add in the parsley. Season with salt and pepper. To serve, remove the tamale from the steamer. Open the tamales and serve with a spoon of the cherry mojo. This recipe yields 4 to 6 servings.

CORN FUNGUS TAMALES: TAMALES DE HUITLACOCHE

Steps:

• For the tamales, moisten the instant corn flour with the warm water, and set aside. Beat shortening in mixer until creamy and fluffy. Fold in the corn flour and the chicken stock.
• Mix well and set aside. In a blender puree huitlacoche and cilantro with a little water until smooth. Add this mixture to the dough and fold in well. Season with salt and pepper. Have cornhusks already soaking in water.
• To assemble the tamales, open the corn husks and place 1 spoonful of dough in the center of the cornhusk. Fold over the sides of the husk and secure with a piece of string. Repeat the rocess until all the dough is finished. In a double boiler with a steamer insert, steam the tamales for 40 to 45 minutes.
• Remove tamales from the steamer and allow them to sit for 5 minutes. Then open them and serve them with a sprinkle of cheese.

YUCA WITH GARLIC-CITRUS SAUCE: YUCCA CON MOJO

Steps:

• In a pot of boiling water, cook the yucca until tender, but not falling apart and losing its shape, about 10 minutes. Remove the yucca from the water, and dunk into an ice bath to stop the cooking process (shocking) and set aside.
• Meanwhile, make the mojo. In a blender, place half of the red onion, garlic, parsley, cilantro, and lime juice. Start to puree and slowly drizzle in the olive oil. When well pureed, season with salt and pepper and set aside. Julienne the remaining half of the onion.
• Heat 2 inches of oil in a deep cast iron skillet to 375 degrees F. Begin frying the partially cooked yucca until golden brown, about 5 minutes.
• When uniform in color, remove the yucca from the oil and place in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Pour the mojo over the yucca, and garnish with the other half of the red onion.

TAMALES WITH YELLOW MOLE: TAMALES DE AMARILLO MOLE

Steps:

• In a large mixing bowl soak the corn husks for 30 minutes.
• In another bowl, add the masa harina and salt and with a whisk, mix well. Slowly add the chicken stock to the masa harina and mix well until a dough-like consistency. Make 10 ping-pong ball size balls of dough.
• In a plastic-lined tortilla press (both sides), press out each ball of dough to form a 5-inch round (about the size of the press). Carefully remove the tortilla, and place a spoonful of amarillo mole sauce, a spoonful of shredded cooked chicken. Fold each side of the tortilla and place in a corn husk length-wise. Secure both ends with a string or part of the husk used as a string, and repeat process.
• Steam for 30 minutes.
• Toast chiles on a griddle. Remove and place in a bowl. Cover with boiling water and let stand for 20 minutes.
• In a hot cast iron pan, roast the onion, garlic, tomatillos, and green tomatoes. Roast until well charred on all sides. Place in a bowl and let cool.
• Meanwhile grind peppercorns and cloves in coffee grinder. When the vegetables are cool enough to handle peel off the charred skin and puree them in a blender with the hoja santa leaves, drained chiles, and spices.
• In hot pot, heat the lard, add the pureed strained sauce, and cook for 5 minutes.
• In a small bowl, add the masa harina and water. Mix until well blended. Add this mixture to the sauce and cook for 5 minutes more, until done.

BRAISED DUCK WITH RED CURRY

Steps:

• Bone ducks and remove the skin. (You can ask a butcher to do this, reserving the carcass for stock making and skin for rendering.) Cut breasts in half, then into about 3 pieces across the width. Chop legs and thighs into about 4 pieces each. (Remember: You want to start with generous pieces of meat, since they will shrink when cooked. Don't worry about cleaning the tendons, since they will soften with long cooking.) Sprinkle meat with salt and pepper.
• Heat rendered fat in a large, heavy bottomed Dutch oven over high heat. Brown duck on all sides, then transfer meat to a platter. Reduce heat to medium low and cook shallots until well browned, about 15 minutes. Add garlic and ginger, increase heat to medium high and cook about a minute, then add curry paste. Cook, stirring constantly, about 3 minutes. Return duck meat to pot along with brown duck stock and cook at a slow simmer, uncovered, until meat is tender, about 40 minutes.
• With a slotted spoon, transfer meat to a platter and reserve in a warm place. Puree sauce in a blender and strain back into pot. Cook over high heat until liquid is reduced by one third. Stir in fish sauce, coconut milk, sugar, and lime juice, and remove from heat. Stir duck back into warm sauce. Ladle stew over Jasmine Rice. Garnish with remaining ingredients and serve immediately.

DUCK TAMALES WITH MOLE SAUCE

Steps:

• To make the mole sauce, cover the ancho chilies with boiling water, and allow to soak until soft. Remove the seeds, and chop the chilies.
• Spear the tomatoes and tomatilloes with a fork and roast over an open flame until the skins begin to blacken. Chop and place in a food processor.
• Roast the garlic by holding it on a fork over the flame until lightly browned. Add to the food processor, along with the duck or veal stock, chilies, oregano, canela or cinnamon, cloves, pepper and allspice. Puree this mixture.
• Transfer the mixture to a saucepan, and simmer 15 to 20 minutes. Add the chocolate and sugar, and stir just until melted.
• To make the tamales, remove 3 tablespoons of fat from the duck confit, and heat the fat in a skillet. Add the mole sauce to the fat, and cook 5 minutes, stirring constantly.
• Melt the confit. Remove duck legs, skin them, and cut the meat off the bones, dicing it into 1/2-inch cubes. Mix with 1/4 cup of mole sauce and set aside.
• Stir warm water into the masa harina. The texture should be malleable, like a very soft dough. In a bowl whip the remaining chilled confit fat with a fork, and beat in the masa harina. Season to taste with a little salt.
• Dry the cornhusks. Flatten them, and spread about 1 1/2 tablespoons of the masa harina-fat mixture on the smooth inner side of each husk. Distribute the diced confit mixture in a line down the center of each husk. Roll each husk loosely, allowing room for expansion, and fold down the top to make a package. Tie with a strip of cornhusk. If cornhusks are not available, use pieces of cooking parchment.
• Steam the tamales for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, reheat the remaining mole sauce. Allow the tamales to cool slightly, then serve with the mole sauce on the side.