Sweet Corn Humitas Recipe
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The simple Ecuadoran humita has ancient roots, and it’s lasted all these years because it’s deliciously simple. Like a tamale made with fresh corn, the humita is a batter of fresh corn, masa, and cheese that gets wrapped in a corn husk and steamed. This recipe comes from Chef Jose Garces of Amada restaurant in Philadelphia.
What to buy: White corn flour and corn husks can be found in the international aisle of most grocery stores or at Latin markets.
Queso fresco is a mild white cheese that doesn’t melt when heated. It can be found in the refrigerated cheese case of most grocery stores or at specialty cheese shops or Latin markets. If you can’t locate it, go ahead and substitute feta or ricotta cheese.
This recipe was featured as part of our Suckling Pig for the Holidays menu.
- 2 cups fresh corn kernels (from about 3 ears)
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter (3/4 stick), at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 cup vegetable stock
- 1 cup instant white corn flour
- 8 ounces queso fresco, crumbled (about 2 cups)
- 15 corn husks, soaked then drained and dried of excess water
- Place a steamer in a large pot and fill the pot with enough water to reach the bottom of the steamer. Over low heat, bring the water to a simmer.
- Combine corn kernels, butter, baking powder, salt, and sugar in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a blade attachment and process until smooth, about 30 to 40 seconds.
- Transfer mixture to a large bowl. Add stock, corn flour, and queso fresco and mix with a spoon until thickened and no dry spots remain, about 30 strokes.
- Spoon about 3 tablespoons of the corn mixture into the middle of each husk. Fold the bottom of the husk up and each side in, then fold the top over to seal.
- Place humitas seam side down in the steamer, layering on top of one another. Cover and steam until filling is set and no longer raw tasting, about 30 to 40 minutes.
@ascender: I used Kosher salt. A Tbsp is too much.
The recipe calls for Kosher Salt, which has larger granules. That makes it measure differently. If you use regular salt, reduce the quantity by 50%.
Why buy dried corn husks? Since you're using fresh sweet corn, use the fresh husks. They add wonderful flavor.
Also, I steamed them for an hour, which seemed to be right.
OK, I tried again, this time using a teaspoon rather than a tablespoon of salt, and they were so much better. (Incidentally, I also used low sodium broth and, of course, unsalted butter). You can always add salt at the table (though I didn't think you needed to), but there is no way to unsalt. I would HIGHLY recommend using only a teaspoon of salt. I wonder if that was a typo. I should have trusted my instinct when I first saw the recipe.
My masa doesn't have salt and I used low sodium broth. I really suspect that was supposed to read tsp. I'm going to try the recipe again this weekend with a tsp and see how that goes. Mine weren't inedible, but just covered (rather than complimented) the sweetness of the corn.
For the people who thought it was salty - did your masa have salt in it? Or did you have another salty component? I used a 'light' tablespoon of stock, and low sodium stock, and we did not think it was noticeably salty. So I am wondering what the difference might be.
Inedibly salty and I didn't even put in the whole tablespoon of salt, feeling that the recipes probably should have read 1 teaspoon. Neither my stock or queso were especially salty, but it added up to too much. I loved the simplicity of the recipe otherwise. I used my pressure cooker, high pressure 15 minutes, then let them sit another 5 or so before releasing the pressure. They came out great, salty, but great.
almond3xtract , in the U.S. substituting feta can be a good thing. The American made 'queso fresco' here in Cali is bland (and overpriced) Crap. Cooking will moderate the sharper flavor of most feta.
OTOH I would not use it as a topping cheese in traditional recipes.
The singular form of tamales is tamal, FWIW.
Agree that 40 minutes isn't enough time (still sticking to husks). Perfect after 55-60 minutes then resting for a few minutes.
I had never made tamales before, but this recipe looked a little easier than many. Quite good for a first attempt, though way too much salt. I thought it covered the sweetness of the corn. I'll try it again sometime with less salt.
I had a couple of steamer batches of these, from this recipe, and I took the first batch out after 40 minutes. They were still not releasing cleanly from the corn husks, even after cooling for a half hour. I streamed the second batch just under an hour. These were cooked thru and released from the husks appropriately. For the first batch, I microwaved one for about 60 seconds (it was not ice cold) and that made them about perfect.
You're seriously advising people to substitute feta? I'm so grossed out by all these modern Mexican recipes that use feta! It is NOT right!! GROSS!!!
PS...Allow tamale to set when removed from steamer. allow to cool about 30 min before opening tamale. the dough is to soft and wet right out of the steamer.
Hawaiian tamales- use banana leaves...asian markets carry them.
corn mix- try
1 cup corn meal. place in a bowl, cover with water and hydrate over night in fridge.
in a processor and hydrated meal, 2 cups corn kernals, and 1/2 cup flour, 1 tbl salt and 1/8 cup oil.
pulse until combined, check for liquid...if mixture is "balling up" add liquid(chicken broth). run processor to blend. the finished consitancy should by like a thick cornbread mix.
make about 6 test tamales...2 plain, 2 with a smear of adobo sauce, 2 with cooked chicken and green sauce. wrap in banana leaf and steam for 45-75 min.
if they come out crumbly and "dry", they need more fat
if they work, you can add adobo type sauce to masa for more flavor.
good luck
Ha, it is amazing what writers believe is available at "most grocery stores" Guess it all depends on where you live. I doubt most grocery stores carry the variety or quality of fresh fish you find in Honolulu, but you sure won't find corn husks there, although there are one or two specialty stores where you can get them.
instant white corn flour - is this masa arepa, using in Columbia for arepas (corn cakes), or something else?