Let’s try to bake a tamale pie

Autumn weather is arriving and gives appetite for good old baked dishes…
I had never eaten this. It’s a good tex-mex variation of our old polenta. Very tasty.
I saw many recipes of all sorts on the web and totally improvised mine.

The 3 layers :

Under (crockpot) :
olive oil, garlic, onion, ground chicken, azuki beans, hot chili, jalapeno tabasco, tomato flesh, , spices…
Cover (microwave):
corn meal, baking powder, olive oil, salt, cumin seeds, water
Toppings (under broiler) :
cream cheese, cumin seeds, paprika

Cal 673.2 F29.5g C81.5g P24.7g

8 thoughts on “Let’s try to bake a tamale pie”

    • Maybe the original tamale pie has a mushy crust. LOL. I have no idea.

      The micro-wave dried mine. There were even cracks as large as the Grand-Canyon. LOL. I had to cover them. The reason is the steam from under pushed and opened the holes. Next time, I’ll put a chimney of baking paper to avoid that.

      Note that I have used “corn meal”, the European type, like for polenta, in finer. I’d say it’s what you get if you pass “grits” in a mill. Most American recipes are with “masa flour”, “masa harina” or “tamale masa”. I suppose the 3 are synonym, and I can’t buy this ingredient here in Osaka. I think it keeps more moisture.

      Reply

  3. You made a work of art here and it you created the most original Tamale Pie I have ever seen.

    I love your pictures. What kind of camera do you have?

    Just wondered. Keep making wonderful looking dishes. You are one of the best photo editors I have ever seen. You could frame your food!

    Paulette Le Pore Motzko
    (Polly Motzko)

    Reply

    • Thanks for the compliments… but I’m really playing with a toy camera, I have a huge huge margin of progress.
      Look in this review they say : ” It is one of the cheaper models available.” and that was… 8 years ago ?
      http://www.cameras.co.uk/camera-reviews/sony-dsc-w30.cfm
      When the light is good, photos can be great… otherwise, Picasa corrects a little.
      Someday I’ll get a nice camera and I will learn how to use it, but probably not for a hobby food blog. As you see, I post everyday, and I like eating my food hot, so the shooting session has to be very quick. In addition, this camera had fallen in food, and been washed, a few times already. LOL.
      I sometimes work in the same building as professionals that make food book and magazines, but it’s not my job at all. I don’t know anything of their techniques and their work is not something I’d like doing. It’s 99% of repetitive technique, and 1% of creation. We have much more fun doing blogs as a hobby.

      Reply

  4. Pingback: Pickles and chicken tamales, a shopping challenge « GOURMANDE in OSAKA

  5. Pingback: La gritzza, cornmeal and veggie tart « GOURMANDE in OSAKA

  6. Pingback: Fêtes . Dinners of Holiday. Many IDs, change of style. « GOURMANDE in OSAKA

Leave a comment