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rick bayless’s vegan corn tamale

Corn Tamales 1 medium white onion, diced Glazed Mushrooms and

Braised Greens
2 cups fresh corn kernels Low-sodium chicken or vegetable
1/2 cup broth or water, as needed 2 tablespoons canola oil
vegetable shortening
3 ancho chiles, seeded, toasted, and 4 large shiitake mushroom caps,
2 tablespoons sugar
soaked brushed clean and cut into large
1/2 teaspoon salt cubes
2 pasilla de Oaxaca chiles, toasted
1/4 teaspoon baking powder and soaked 3 to 4 tablespoons prepared chipotle
salsa, blended smooth
1 pound fresh masa 4 cloves garlic, dry roasted in the
peel, then peeled 1 tablespoon agave nectar
Eight 1-foot squares banana leaf,
each run over a gas flame or broiled Salt 2 cups frisée
until softened
1 large bunch lacinato (dinosaur) kale, 1 cup watercress, leaves and tender
stemmed and cut into 1-inch-wide stems only
slices (about 4 cups)
2 to 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
CHile-Braised Beans
Salt
1 pound dried black beans or three
15-ounce cans black beans

SERVES 4 Prep time: 2 hours,

plus soaking beans
For the Corn Tamales: Put the corn in a food processor and process to a purée. Add
the shortening, sugar, salt, and baking powder and process until smooth. Add the Top Chef Masters,
Season 1, Episode 8
masa and blend until well incorporated.
Elimination Challenge:
Tear off 1 long, narrow strip from each banana-leaf square to use to tie the tamales, Create a vegan dish without gluten
and set aside. or soy.

Divide the corn dough evenly among the banana squares, placing the portion in
the center of each leaf. To wrap the tamales, bring the right and left sides of each
leaf together and overlap them in the center. Then fold the bottom half of the leaf
up to secure the dough. Loosely tie the tamale closed (leaving the top open) with
a reserved banana-leaf strip.

Stand all the tamales upright in a vegetable steamer placed in a large, deep pot. Add
about 1 inch of water to the pot and bring to a boil. Cover the pot tightly and steam
the tamales for 1 hour, adding additional hot water to the pot as necessary. Remove
the tamales from the steamer and set aside.

continued

foreign exchange 125

 about an ingredient
agave
Used to make tequila, the Mexican agave
plant also produces a sweet syrup that
is similar to honey. Vegans like it because
no bees are exploited in the making of
this sweetener. Chefs like it because it
comes in different intensities, from light
to caramel-colored, and it has a delicious,
mild flavor.
126 foreign exchange
For the Chile-Braised Beans: If using dried beans, sort, rinse, and soak overnight in
water to cover, then drain. Or, in a large pot, combine the beans with water to cover
by 2 inches, bring to a boil, and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat, cover,
and let soak for 1 hour, then drain. Put the soaked beans in a large, heavy-bottomed
pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion and broth to cover the beans. Bring to
a boil, reduce the heat to achieve a gentle simmer, and cook until the beans are
tender, 40 minutes to 1 hour.
If using canned beans, drain and rinse. Pour the beans with water to cover into a
large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-low heat. Add the onion and simmer until
heated through and the onion is tender, 15 to 20 minutes.
When the beans are almost done, place the soaked chiles and the garlic in a
blender or food processor and process until smooth. Press through a sieve into
the pot of beans. Season to taste with salt. Add the kale and simmer until tender.
Remove from the heat.
For the Glazed Mushrooms and Braised Greens: In a medium sauté pan, heat the
oil over high heat. Add the shiitakes and sauté until brown. Add the salsa and agave
nectar and reduce to a glaze, about 15 minutes. Toss in the frisée, watercress, and
2 tablespoons lime juice. Season with salt. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt
and additional lime juice, if needed.
To serve, spoon a portion of beans onto each plate and sprinkle with the mush-
rooms and greens. Place a tamale on top of the beans.