Mexico City!

Today the Sprint series is off, but the Nationwide series is racing in Mexico City. I saw this recipe in Bobby Flay's cookbook for Yucatan Chicken, and figured I'd make it since the Yucatan Peninsula is in Mexico.
One of the reasons I started this blog was to challenge myself to try new cooking methods and ingredients, and tonight's dinner had both! I've never cooked tamales before, and I've never had jicama. The tamales were outstanding! The jicama was good, too. It tasted like a sweet water chestnut. Kroger didn't have papayas this week, so I subbed mango in the salsa.
I hope you enjoy these two great Bobby Flay recipes!

Pumpkin Tamales with Yucatan Chicken

Pumpkin Tamales:
1 cup canned pumpkin puree
¼ cup honey
2 tbsp. cinnamon
1 tbsp ginger
1 tbsp. nutmeg
Salt and pepper
24 dried corn husks, soaked in water for 2 hours
½ recipe of Masa


Masa:
1 ½ cups fresh corn kernels
1 medium onion
2 cups chicken stock
6 tbsp. unsalted butter
6 tbsp. shortening
1 ½ cups yellow cornmeal
1 ½ tsp. sugar
Salt and pepper


About 2 hours before you plan to form the tamales, clean the husks under water, soak them for 2 hours in hot water, until softened.
Puree the corn, onion and stock, transfer to a mixing bowl and cut in the shortening and butter. Using your fingers, mix in the cornmeal, sugar, salt and pepper until there are no visible lumps of fat.
Remove the corn husks from water and set aside.
In a mixing bowl, combine the pumpkin, honey, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, salt and pepper.
Add the pumpkin mixture to the masa, marbling it through; do not combine the two mixtures completely.
Lay 2 husks flat on a work surface with the tapered ends facing out and the broad bases overlapping. Place about 1/3 cup of masa in the middle. Bring the long sides up over the masa, overlapping, and pat down to close. Tie each bundle with a strip of corn. Trim the ends to about ½” beyond the tie. Arrange in a single layer in a steamer and steam over boiling water for 45 minutes.


Yucatan-style Chicken Skewers with Papaya-Tomatillo Salsa:
1 cup Yucatan Marinade
9 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (I used tenders)
1 medium jicama, julienned
2 cups papaya-tomatillo salsa
Wood Skewers

Yucatan Marinade:
½ cup fresh orange juice
¼ cup fresh lime juice
2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
¼ cup ancho chile powder
2 tbsp. pasilla chile powder
¼ cup paprika
1 tsp. cayenne
1 tsp. ground black pepper
1 tsp salt
¼ cup EVOO
Combine all ingredients in a blender until emulsified.


Papaya-Tomatillo Salsa
1 papaya, peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped
4 tomatillos, husked and coarsely chopped
2 tbsp. diced red onion
1 tbsp. minced jalapeno
¼ cup lime juice
¼ cup chopped cilantro
1 tsp. honey
Salt and pepper


Combine all ingredients in a bowl, May be refrigerated for up to 1 day before serving.


To prepare:
Rub the marinade into the chicken, cover and refrigerate for 4-6 hours.
Prepare a charcoal grill or preheat the broiler
Thread each piece of chicken onto 2 skewers so the meat stays flat, grill for 4 minutes per side. Arrange on a plate with the jicima and salsa.

(The tamales before I rolled them)

(This is what jicama looks like, as well as the corn husks soaking)