Name: Shrimp Tamales (Tamales de Camarón)
Yield: 12 to 14 tamales
Cuisine: Mexican
Ingredients: 1½ pounds (about 3 cups) coarsely ground fresh masa, homemade or bought from a supplier, or reconstituted masa made by mixing 2¼ cups masa harina with 1¾ cups chicken stock (preferably homemade) or water; 2 jalapeño chiles, tops and seeds removed, coarsely chopped; 8 to 9 ounces (slightly more than 1 cup) lard (preferably home-rendered); 12 to 14 large dried corn husks; 24 to 28 medium (20- to 24-count) fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined; 1 small onion, coarsely chopped; ½ cup fresh epazote leaves, stripped from stems and coarsely chopped, or 2 tablespoons dried epazote, crumbled; 2 small ripe tomatoes, coarsely chopped; 1 garlic clove, coarsely chopped; 2 cups finely crumbled pork cracklings; 1 cup (4 ounces) hulled pumpkin seeds; 1 tablespoon achiote paste; 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

Preparation info

12 to 14
tamales

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

The Food and Life of Oaxaca

By Zarela Martínez

Published 1997

About

This would also qualify for the name gueta bi’ngui’ (which can apply to any type of seafood tamales), but here the shrimp are fresh, not dried, and the tamales are cooked by the more conventional method of wrapping and steaming. The crumbled pork cracklings add fantastic texture and flavor but also make the dish very rich and filling—I think these are best served as party buffet food, allowing about 1 per person.

Venancia Toledo Hernández gave me this delicio