Recipe

Spicy Duck Tamales

Ingredients

3/4 cup boiled, peeled finely-diced sweet potatoes
1 cup finely-shredded cooked duck
1 chipotle pepper in adobo, drained and finely chopped
25 fresh corn husks or dried husks soaked in hot water until softened, about 30 minutes, plus 1 husk torn into strips for tying
Basic Tamale Dough (see previous recipe)

In a small bowl, mix sweet potatoes, duck and chipotle pepper to make filling. Choosing largest ones, place corn husks, one at a time, on work surface and spread 1/4 to 1/3 cup tamale dough over wide end of husk; top with a tablespoon of duck filling. Fold husk around tamale filling to completely enclose, and tie off each end with a strip of corn husk. Repeat until all dough and filling has been used.
In a large pot fitted with a steaming rack, arrange tamales and cover with remaining soaked corn husks or a damp dish towel. Pour in enough boiling water to reach just under steaming rack, cover tightly and return to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat slightly to maintain gentle bubbling and steam. Cook about 1 hour, adding more boiling water if necessary, until tamales are cooked through. Uncover pot and let tamales rest 10 minutes before serving.