Humitas, Chilean Tamales

Recipes of Legumes

Chilean Cooking

Ingredients serves 8

• 12 large ears of corn
• 1 large onion, diced
• 2 tablespoons lard
• 2 green chili peppers, seeded and chopped
• 1 bunch basil, finely chopped
• 1 cup milk
• 1 tablespoon sweet paprika
• Salt and pepper

Preparation

1 Carefully cut the corn husks from the ears, reserving the widest husks in pairs to make the humitas.

2 Remove kernels with a knife and grind in a food processor and reserve.

3 Fry the onion in lard until translucent. Add the chili peppers, basil, paprika, salt, and pepper. Empty this mixture into the pot with the reserved corn paste; add milk and mix well. If the corn was very ripe and dry, add more milk to form a thick mixture.

4 Place two husks, side by side, overlapping at their widest part. Add 4 heaping tablespoons of the corn mixture to the center of the leaves. Fold the leaves in from the sides and then cross the ends to shape the humita. Tie with thin strips of corn husks to shape the middle.

5 Simmer the humitas in a large pot of salted water for 1 hour.

Wine Pairing

Advice of Wine to combine

Suggest from Sommelier

Humitas are sweet, flavorful, and doughy. As a suitable candidate for this pairing 1 would choose a nice, round, friendly, fruity, lush and almost playful Merlot, such as a good, year-old varietal.