Sweet Corn Tamale Cakes

I realize this looks like a hot mess, but don't hold that against the dish (that was just me not taking the time to plate delicately). Which is a compliment really, because this is so good, I didn't want to bother taking my time - I just wanted to dig in. If this looks familiar, it's probably because you've ordered it at the Cheesecake Factory. It's a clone of their recipe (if we can do it with sheep, we can do it with tamale cakes).

SWEET CORN TAMALE CAKES

Yield: 10 cakes (5 appetizers)

Salsa Verde:

2 tomatillos, papery skins removed and chopped

1 (4 oz.) can mild green chilies

1 green onion (scallion), chopped

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1 1/4 teaspoons ground cumin

salt & freshly ground pepper

Tomato Salsa:

1 medium tomato, diced

1 tablespoon minced Spanish onion

1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro

1/4 teaspoon lime juice

1/2 jalapeno, minced

salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Southwestern Sauce:

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 teaspoon white vinegar

1 teaspoon water

3/4 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/8 teaspoon onion powder

salt to taste

garlic powder to taste

Tamale Cakes:

3 cups sweet corn, fresh or frozen (4 to 5 ears)

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

6 tablespoons sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup masa harina (corn flour)

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

Garnish:

1/2 cup sour cream

1 avocado, chopped

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

___________________________________________________________________________

1.      Combine all Salsa Verde ingredients in a food processor on high speed. Cover and chill.

2.      Combine all Tomato Salsa ingredients in a small bowl. Cover and chill.

3.      Combine all Southwestern Sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Cover and chill.

4.      Preheat oven to 400°F.

5.      Coarsely puree 2 cups of the corn in a food processor.

6.      Combine pureed corn with softened butter, sugar and salt. Blend well with electric mixer until smooth.

7.      Add masa and flour and blend well.

8.      Mix in the remaining 1 cup corn by hand.

9.      Measure 1/2 cup portions and form into 8 (3 inch) patties.

10.  Arrange patties on a baking sheet and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the cakes are browned on the bottom.

11.  Carefully flip cakes with a spatula and bake for an additional 5 to 7 minutes or until the other side is browned.

12.  While the cakes are baking, spoon some salsa verde onto a platter (coat the bottom with about 1/4 inch).

13.  Arrange the tamale cakes on top of the salsa verde.

14.  Top each tamale cake with tomato salsa, a dollop of sour cream, chopped avocado, cilantro and Southwestern Sauce (preferably in a nice zig zag pattern using a squirt bottle).

slightly adapted from a copycat recipe from “Top Secret Restaurant Recipes" by Todd Wilbur (original dish from The Cheesecake Factory)

tomatillos

salsa verde ingredients

salsa verde

tomato salsa

southwestern sauce

corn kernels

adding butter, sugar and salt

adding masa and flour

whole corn kernels mixed in

formed into patties

baked sweet corn tamale cakes

two sweet corn tamale cakes over salsa verde with
dollops of southwestern sauce haphazardly plopped on top

For that size/shape plate, I should have put
just one cake on there, but I wanted two!

sweet corn tamale cakes topped with
tomato salsa, sour cream and avocado

 .

Tomatillo Salsa Verde

I love watching cooking competition shows like Top Chef and Iron Chef (no surprise there). And it makes me really happy when I hear a very seasoned chef say they've never cooked with something before. There are just so many foods in this world, it's nice to know even the professionals can still be humbled or caught off-guard by one lowly fruit or vegetable that they haven't tried. 

I'm not comparing myself to the big wigs, but I am admitting this...I've never cooked a tomatillo (that is, not until now). Don't ask me why; they're pretty plentiful where I live. I just wasn't brought up eating them and never got around to trying them. But I've always liked fresh tomato salsa, so I had a feeling I would really enjoy this. I was right (muy delicioso).

TOMATILLO SALSA VERDE

Yield: approx. 2 1/2 cups

1 1/4 lb. tomatillos, husks/stems removed and rinsed

1 (3-4 inch) serrano chile (or more to taste), stemmed and seeds removed

1/3 cup chopped onion (optional)

3 cloves garlic, peeled

3/4 cup roughly chopped cilantro leaves

juice of 1/2 lime (about 1 tablespoon)

1 teaspoon chicken Better-than-Bouillon, or to taste (or salt to taste)

1.      Preheat broiler. Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil. Arrange the tomatillos on the sheet pan and broil until blackened in spots, turning once (about 7 minutes per side). Set aside to cool for 5-10 minutes.

2.      Place the chile, onion and garlic in food processor. Process until finely chopped. Add the cilantro and process again until finely chopped.

3.      Add the tomatillos and their juices; process until almost smooth. Add lime juice and chicken bouillon (or salt) to taste.

tomatillos with husks still on

Tomatillos should be firm and bright green (if they're
light green or yellow, they're probably too ripe). The husks
should also be green and look fresh (not too yellow or too dry).

tomatillos with husks & stems removed

It's normal for them to be sticky before you rinse them (rinsing them
will also remove any bits of husk that were hard to remove)

roasted tomatillos

serrano peppers (I only used one, but you can add to taste)

cilantro

I didn't have any onion, so I doubled the garlic (I love garlic).
But I think onion would be good here.

cilantro added

tomatillos added

everything mixed, except lime juice and seasoning

lime halved

Warning: The chile gains strength overnight, so don't be surprised if your salsa is more potent the next day!

.