Tamales Negros (guatemalan Black Tamales)

Prepare a smooth sauce in the food processor with all the sauce ingredients except the chicken. Cook the sauce and the chicken together in a covered pan over moderate to low heat for 20 minutes. Remove the chicken and cut it into 2 inch cubes. Set aside the chicken and the sauce. Mix the dough ingredients together and simmer in a pan over low heat for 30 minutes, stirring frequently, until the mash is thick and smooth. Set aside. Aluminum foil cut into 12 inch squares (if you can find banana leaves, this is what they use in Guatemala) 1 small dired pitted prune for each tamale 2 raisins for each tamale 2 pitted green olives for each tamale Put 1/2 cup of the dough in the center of the foil sheet. Smooth it out to a rectangle 4x5 inches and 1 inch thick. Top this with 2 Tbs of the sauce and 1 cube of chicken. Around the side gently press in the prune, raisins and olives. Fold the foil toward the center, seal it, then give the ends a twist around to seal the ends. (If you found banana leaves, you would fold it into a packet and tie with string). Cook in a steamer over moderate heat for 1 1/2 hours. To serve, unfold the foil and cut around the edges with scissors, leaving the center part of the foil intact. It is your plate. For banana leaves, cut string and unfold. Serve hot. Serves 7 or 8 PICADO DE RABANO (Radish Salad) 1/2 pound radishes (about 20) 12 fresh mint leaves, finely chopped Salt to taste 1/4 cup of a mix containing 2/3 orange juice and 1/3 lemon juice (or use Seville bitter orange juice if available) Trim and thinly slice the radishes. Combine sliced radishes with remaining ingredients in a bowl and serve as a salad. Serves 2-4 JOCON (Chicken in Green Sauce) 1 chicken, cut into serving pieces, loose skin and fat discarded 4 cups water 1 tsp salt 2 tortillas, sliced 1 Tbs pepitoria (squash seeds) 1/2 cup sesame seeds 1 cup cilantro, packed 1 cup sliced scallions, green part only 1/2 cup sliced tomatillos 1 to 2 tsp hot green chile slices 1 Tbs corn oil Cook the chicken in the water with the salt in a covered kettle until soft, about 30 minutes. Remove the chicken and set aside. Reserve broth and soak tortillas in it. Toast the squash seeds and sesame seeds in a dry skillet over moderate to low heat until they turn a light tan color, about 10 minutes. Prepare sauce in processor. First grind the squash and sesame seeds. Add the cilantro, scallions, tomatillos, hot chile pepper and 1 cup of the reserved broth. Add the soaked tortillas and process to a smooth paste. Brown the chicken pieces in oil over moderate heat for 5 minutes. Add the green sauce and the balance of the broth, about 2 cups. Simmer over low heat for 15 minutes, until the sauce is reduced to a thick, rich, green consistency. Serve warm. Serves 4 CHUCHITOS (Cornmeal Dumplings Stuffed with Meat) 1 pound boneless chicken or pork 1 Tbs oil 2 cups sliced ripe tomatoes 1 chile guajillo, seeds and stem removed 2 Tbs water 4 cups masa harina 8 Tbs margarine, room temperature 1 1/2 cups cold water 1 tsp salt Fresh green or dired cornhusks, wet Cut the chicken or pork into 1 inch cubes and fry in oil over medium heat for 3 minutes. Set aside. Process the tomatoes, chile pepper and 2 Tbs water into a smooth sauce. Set aside. Mix the masa, margarine, 1 1/2 cups cold water and the salt together into a thick mush. Put 1/2 cup mush in each wet cornhusk, push and indentation into the mush, and add 1 Tbs sauce and a chunk of meat. Cover the stuffing with the mush and wrap the dumpling into a sausage shape with the corn leaves. Steam the chuchitos over hot water over moderate heat for 1 1/2 hours. Unwrap and eat warm or at room temperature. ARROZ CON POLLO CHAPINA (Guatemala Style Chicken and Rice) 3 lbs chicken pieces, skin and fat discarded 1 Tbs corn oil 1 tsp salt 1/4 tsp black pepper 1/2 cup chopped onion 1 garlic clove, chopped fine 1/2 cup chopped ripe tomato 1 1/2 cups raw rice 1 cup sliced carrots 1/3 cup stuffed green olives 1 Tbs caper 2 1/2 cups chicken broth 1 cup green peas 1/2 cup sweet red pimiento, cut into strips 1 hard cooked egg, sliced 2 Tbs grated Parmesan cheese In a large skillet brown the chicken in the oil over medium heat for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with 1/2 tsp salt and the black pepper. Remove the chicken and set aside. In the same skillet with the chicken fat, fry the onion, garlic and tomato for 2 minutes. Add the rice and fry for 2 minutes more. Add the carrots, olives and capers and mix everything together. Pour in the broth and chicken pieces. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover skillet and simmer until broth has been absorbed, about 10 minutes. Add the green peas. Cover skillet with aluminum foil and punch 8 holes in the top to allow steam to escape. Bake in a 300F oven for 30 minutes. Fluff up the mixture once or twice during the baking time. Serve warm. Decorate the surface with the pimiento strips and egg slices and sprinkle with the cheese. The rice should be dry, loose and not sticky. Serve with fried ripe plantain slices, a salsa picante and pickled vegetables. ********************************* CARNE EN ADOBO (Beef in Tomato and Pepper Sauce) 1/4 cup vegetable oil 1 medium onion, chopped 3 clove garlic, chopped 2 red peppers, seeded and chopped 3 pounds lean boneless beef chuck, cut into 1 inch cubes 10 ounces canned tomatillos 4 medium tomatoes, coarsely chopped 1 bay leaf 2 cloves 1/2 tsp oregano Salt, pepper 1/2 cup beef stock 2 stale tortillas Heat oil in saucepan and saute onion, garlic and pepper until onion is soft. Add meat and everything else except tortillas. Add more stock if needed so liquid barely covers meat. Cover, simmer gently 2 hours until beef is tender. Soak tortillas in water, squeeze them out and crumble. Add to casserole and simmer uncovered until sauce thickens. Serve with Arroz Guatemalteco. VERDURAS EN ESCABECHE (Pickled Vegetables) 5 jalapeno chiles, each about 2 inches long 1 Tbs corn oil 2 cups diagonal 1/8 inch thick slices of carrots 1 pound cauliflower, cut into 1 inch florets 1 cup slice onion 5 garlic cloves 1 tsp thyme 1 tsp oregano 4 bay leaves 1 tsp salt 1 tsp sugar 1 cup cider or white vinegar Fry the chile peppers in the oil for 2 minutes to soften the skins. Remove the chiles, slice them open vertically, and remove seeds and fibers. Set aside. Blanch the carrots, cauliflower, onion and garlic separately in boiling water for 2 minutes. Drain well and mix them all together. Put them into a glass jar or stone crock. Mix the thyme, oregano, bay leaves, salt and sugar in the vinegar. Pour this over the vegetables and mix well. Allow the escabeche to marinate for 1 day or more before using. The pickle can be refrigerated or stored at room temperature in a cool place. OLGIETTA'S PLATANOS (Fried Plantains) 1 ripe plantain, with a yellow and black skin 2 Tbs oil Peel plantain. Cut into 1/2 inch thick diagonal slices. Heat oil in skillet over medium heat and fry plantains for several minutes on each side until golden brown. Drain briefly on paper towels. Serve with fried black bean paste and tortillas. FRIJOLES NEGROS VOLTEADOS (Fried Black Bean Paste) 2 cups black bean puree (canned refried black beans) 1 Tbs oil Heat oil over moderate heat in skillet. Add bean puree and mix well with wooden spoon. Stir until puree thickens and liquid evaporates. Continue until mix begins to come away from skillet and can be formed by shaking the skillet to give a sausage shape. Serve warm with tortillas, farmers cheese, sour cream, bread or with all at once. IGUASHTE (Vegetable Salad in Squash Seed Sauce) 1 cup squash seeds 1 cup tomatillos 1 garlic clove 1 pound potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes 3 cups water 1 tsp salt 3 cups diagonal 1 inch pieces of green snap beans Toast the squash seeds in a dry skillet over moderate to low heat for about 10 minutes until light brown. Toast the tomatillos and garlic in a dry skillet over moderate to low heat for about 10 minutes, until the skins are slightly charred. Cook the potatoes in the water with the salt until they are soft. Drain well and reserve the liquid. Cook the green beans in the salted water over moderate heat until soft, about 5 minutes. Drain well and reserve the liquid. Prepare a smooth sauce in a processor by first putting in the squash seeds, then the tomatillos, garlic and 2 cups reserved cooking liquid. Strain the sauce and discard the rough bits. Toss the sauce with the potatoes and green beans. Refrigerate for 1 hour or more before serving. Serves 6 ARROZ GUATEMALTECO (Guatemala Style Rice) 2 cups long grain rice 2 Tbs oil 1 cup mixed vegetables (carrots, celery, sweet red peppers, finely chopped, and green peas) Salt and pepper to taste 4 cups chicken stock Heat oil in heavy saucepan and add rice. Saute lightly until rice has absorbed the oil, being careful not to let it color. Add mixed vegetables, salt, pepper, and chicken stock. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to low. Cook for about 20 minutes until rice is tender and the liquid has been absorbed. Serves 6-8 ******************************** PLATANOS AL HORNO (Baked Plantains) 2 Tbs sugar 1 tsp ground cinnamon 2 ripe plantains, with black skins 2 Tbs butter Mix sugar and cinnamon together. Peel the plantains and split them open lengthwise but do not cut completely through. Sprinkle them inside and out with the sugar mixture. Cut dabs of butter into the slits. Coat a baking dish with butter and add the plantains. Bake in a 350F 20 to 30 minutes until soft and brown. Serve warm with fresh cream and honey.