FISH TAMALES (TAMALES DE PESCADO)

Fish tamales (Tamales de Pescado) image

Provided by Zarela Martinez

Time 25m

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 7

1 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped garlic
12 large, unbroken dried corn husks (see note)
4 fish fillets such as red snapper or flounder, about 1/4 pound each
Salt to taste if desired
Freshly ground pepper, preferably white, to taste
Salsa de cilantro (see recipe)

Steps:

Blend the oil and garlic and let stand overnight.
Put the corn husks in a bowl and add boiling water to cover. Let stand until cool. Drain.
Lay the husks on a flat surface and place a fish fillet in the center of each. Sprinkle fish with one tablespoon of the garlic and oil mixture and with salt and pepper.
Roll the husks to enclose the fish completely. If necessary, use two husks, ends overlapping. Tear off eight thin strips of corn husks and use as ''string'' to tie the ends of the tamale rolls. The ends might not be tightly closed, depending on the size of the husks. Refrigerate until ready to cook.
When ready to cook, preheat a charcoal or gas grill. Add the fish in corn husks. Let cook three to five minutes (depending on intensity of heat and distance of food from the fire). Turn the tamales and cook two to four minutes on the second side.
Heat the sauce briefly.
Open up each tamale and spoon the sauce over it.