Robert Hall Winery's Butternut Squash Tamales

Robert Hall Winery's Butternut Squash Tamales

Suggested wine pairing: Robert Hall Cavern Select Zinfandel 2018

Makes 24 small tamales

INGREDIENTS

4 1/8 cups Maseca corn masa flour
2 tbsp kosher salt
1 tbsp baking powder
1 cup neutral oil
3/4 cup unsalted butter
5 cups vegetable stock
2 tsp fresh sage, chopped
1 butternut squash, peeled and cubed

INSTRUCTIONS

Pre-heat oven to 350°.

Apply salt, pepper, and oil to butternut squash and place on a lined sheet pan. Roast until fork tender, approximately 20 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

In a sauté pan, cook butter with sage over medium heat, making sure not to burn. Once browned, pour butter into a bowl and refrigerate.

Soak corn husks for 30 minutes in warm water.

Combine all dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Once butter has hardened again, crumble it into the dry ingredients using the biscuit method. Add in the oil to the butter and dry ingredient mixture, kneading with your hands. Add the vegetable stock and mix until fully combined. Wrap and refrigerate or use right away.

Press the Maseca blend into the corn husk by hand, or a little trick is to put a ping-pong-ball-size piece of dough between two pieces of plastic and press with the tortilla press. Once the Maseca is in the corn husk, fill with cooled butternut squash and either fold or roll the tamales.

Stand the tamales up in a steam tray on a pot over boiling water and cover. Steam for 2 hours or until the tamales are firm. Once done steaming, they are ready to serve with the salsa of your choice.