Tamales Barbones

Ingredients

• 24 whole raw head-on prawns, shell on
• 1 kg fresh corn masa for tamales, or 500 g masa harina mixed with 700 ml warm water
• 200 g pork lard
• 2 tsp fine salt
• 6 guajillo chillies, stemmed and seeded
• 2 ancho chillies, stemmed and seeded
• 3 plum tomatoes
• 4 garlic cloves, peeled
• 1 small white onion, quartered
• 1 tsp dried Mexican oregano
• 500 ml prawn or fish stock
• 30 dried corn husks
• 3 limes, cut into wedges
• 200 g raw tomato and chiltepin salsa

Before you cook

• Soak the corn husks in hot water for 30 minutes, weighing them down with a plate.
• Rinse the prawns and trim only the sharp tip of the rostrum, leaving the head and long antennae intact.
• Toast the guajillo and ancho chillies in a dry pan for 45 seconds a side.
• Soak the toasted chillies in hot water for 20 minutes.
• Blend the drained chillies with the tomatoes, garlic, onion, oregano and 200 ml of the stock until smooth, then strain the sauce.

Steps

1. Fry the strained chilli sauce in a saucepan over medium heat for 8 minutes, stirring, until it darkens and thickens.
2. Season the sauce with half a teaspoon of salt and set it aside to cool.
3. Beat the lard in a large bowl for 5 minutes with a wooden spoon or mixer, until it is pale and fluffy.
4. Add the masa to the lard in three additions, beating well after each one.
5. Beat in the remaining salt and half the cooled chilli sauce.
6. Pour in the remaining stock a little at a time, beating until the masa is soft, spreadable and slightly glossy.
7. Test the masa by dropping a small piece into a glass of cold water, and keep beating until it floats.
8. Drain the corn husks and pat them dry.
9. Lay a husk on the work surface with the wide end towards you.
10. Spread 3 tablespoons of masa over the middle of the husk in a rectangle about 10 cm wide.
11. Lay a whole prawn on the masa so its head sits at the wide end and the antennae hang well past the edge.
12. Spoon a teaspoon of chilli sauce over the prawn.
13. Fold the long sides of the husk over the prawn so the masa closes around it, keeping the whiskers outside.
14. Fold the narrow end of the husk up and leave the wide end open with the antennae showing.
15. Repeat with the remaining husks, masa and prawns.
16. Stand the tamales upright and tightly packed in a steamer basket over 5 cm of boiling water, with the open ends facing up.
17. Cover the steamer with a lid and steam the tamales for 55 minutes, topping up the water from a kettle if it runs low.
18. Test one tamal by unwrapping it: the masa should peel cleanly away from the husk.
19. Rest the tamales off the heat for 10 minutes before serving with lime wedges and salsa.