Name: Huitlacoche Tamales (Tamales de Huitlacoche)
Yield: 14 tamales (about 7 servings)
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 4 ounces Oaxacan string cheese or medium-sharp white cheddar, shredded (about 1 cup); 2 tablespoons fresh epazote leaves, stripped from stems and finely chopped, or 2 teaspoons dried epazote, crumbled; 8 ounces huitlacoche, fresh, canned, or frozen and thawed; 1 small onion, finely chopped; 1 garlic clove, minced; 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon salt; 14 large dried corn husks; ¼ cup (approximately) chicken stock (preferably homemade) or water; 1½ pounds (about 3 cups) coarsely ground fresh masa, homemade or bought from a supplier, or reconstituted masa made by mixing 2¾ cups masa harina with about 1¾ cups chicken stock (preferably homemade) or water; 8 ounces (about 1 generous cup) lard (preferably home-rendered); 2 poblano chiles

Preparation info

14 tamales (about
7
servings)

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

The Food and Life of Oaxaca

By Zarela Martínez

Published 1997

About

This is a southern and central Mexican dish that I have often had in Oaxaca and can’t resist including here. Now that U.S. cooks have increasing access to huitlacoche or cuitlacoche, the delectable corn fungus that Mexicans prize like truffles, these are among the simplest as well as best of tamales. Some enterprising growers sell huitlacoche at farmers’ markets during the corn season, and it is also available frozen by mail order. Once in a while it can be found canned