Sweet Potato and Chipotle Tamales with an Orange Beurre Blanc

Tamales, the little lowly tamale..... Most people don't know what they are unless you live in the southwestern United States or any area bordering Mexico and if you have heard of them most have never tried one! The origins of the tamale is an old and fascinating one dating back to the Mesoamerica age and used as portable food often to support their armies but also for hunters and travelers. Classically corn based and usually have a filling then wrapped in a corn husk, banana or plantain leaf and steamed. Follow the link for the complete history: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tamale#cite_note-hdsp8-0  These tamales are made with sweet potatoes and chipotles and are a little spicy. I top them with a little orange butter sauce, orange zest and cilantro. They are simply delicious, and that is an understatement! They are very easy and fun to make. You will most likely have some leftovers unless you invite a gang of friends over to eat these beauties. These tamales reheat very well and will last at least a week in baggies in the refrigerator. They are nice and creamy and loaded with flavor and the sauce is a brilliant accompaniment to these little packages of goodness. Enjoy.........

Recipe

¼ cup butter
2 Tbsp packed brown sugar
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 ½ #sweet potatoes cooked and cooled
¼ c shortening
1 cup vegetable broth
1 ½ c Masa
1 tbsp baking powder
1 can chipotle chilies
Salt and pepper to taste
20 Corn husks soaked in water

Method

In the bowl of your mixer or with your electric hand mixer, mix butter, brown sugar and cinnamon until smooth. Scoop flesh from cooked sweet potatoes into mixing bowl and mix again until smooth. In small sauce pan melt shortening and add veggie stock. Mix well. Add broth mixture to sweet potatoes and mix well. Gradually add Masa flour mixing well. Add baking powder and chipotles and season with salt and pepper to taste mixing thoroughly. Add 1/3 c filling to each soft soaked corn husk and wrap. Place tamales in a steamer and steam for about 1 hour. Remove tamales from the pot and place on plate, open up corn husks and ladle a little orange beurre blanc over top of the tamales. Garnish with a little orange zest and fresh cilantro.

Sauce

4 cups orange juice
1 cup white wine
1 large shallot chopped
1 bay leaf
10-12 peppercorns
3/4 pound of unsalted butter cut into chunks
Salt and pepper to taste

In a medium sized sauce pan add orange juice, white wine, shallot, bay leaf and peppercorns. Bring orange juice mixture to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer and reduce the sauce to a very thick syrup being careful not to burn it. When reduced to a syrup, on low heat add butter a piece at a time whisking into sauce until each is incorporated and all butter is used. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Strain sauce through a fine mesh strainer to remove the shallot, bay leaf and peppercorns. Serve beurre blanc over tamales.