Shelly's Recipe

TAMALE TART

Category: Fish and Seafood

For the Custard:
2 heads garlic, halved crosswise
2 tbsp olive oil
3 cups heavy cream
4 egg yolks
2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground white pepper

For the Tart Shell:
1 large red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and chopped
3 ancho chiles
2 cups masa harina
1/4 cup yellow cornmeal
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
6 tbsp vegetable shortening

For the Crab Topping:
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 small yellow onion, finely chopped
1/4 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and finely chopped
1/4 yellow bell pepper, cored, seeded, and finely chopped
1/4 poblano chile, halved, seeded, and finely chopped
10 oz fresh lump crabmeat, picked and cleaned
2 tsp fresh lime juice
2 tbsp chopped cilantro

Make the custard: Heat oven to 350. Place garlic in foil, drizzle with oil, and wrap tight; bake until soft, 35–40 minutes. Squeeze roasted garlic into a bowl. In a 4-qt. saucepan over medium heat, simmer cream, stirring, until reduced to about 1 cup, 25–30 minutes. Vigorously whisk reserved garlic into cream; let cool slightly. In a bowl, whisk egg yolks. Whisk in cream mixture, salt, and pepper. Cover custard with plastic wrap; let cool.

Make the tart shell: Bring a 2-qt. saucepan of water to a boil. Add bell peppers; cook until soft, about 10 minutes. Drain peppers; transfer to a food processor; puree until smooth. Reserve 3/4 cup pepper puree. Meanwhile, soften ancho chiles according to these steps. Transfer chiles to a food processor with 1/2 cup soaking water. Puree until smooth; strain through a sieve. Reserve 6 tbsp chile puree.

In a medium bowl, combine masa harina, cornmeal, cumin, salt, and cayenne; set aside. In a large bowl, beat shortening, using a handheld mixer, until fluffy. Sprinkle in dry ingredients and mix until pea-size crumbs form. Add reserved pepper and chile purees and mix (dough will be very sticky). Form dough into a flat disk; transfer to a 9 inch tart pan with a removable bottom. Press dough evenly over bottom and up sides of pan to a 1/4 inch thickness. Pour in custard; cover with plastic wrap.

Place a bamboo steamer inside a wide-bottomed pot; pour in 1 inch water. Bring to a boil, reduce to medium-low, and transfer tart to steamer. Cover and steam until custard is just set, about 25 minutes. Using kitchen towels, lift out tart. Remove plastic wrap and tart ring and transfer tart to a platter.

Make crab topping: Heat oil in a 12 inch skillet over high heat. Add onions; cook until soft, 4–5 minutes. Add peppers, chiles, crab, and lime; cook until just hot. Stir in cilantro and season with salt. Spoon crab mixture over tart.