Adobe Pie®
Our signature version of a tamale, the Adobe Pie is a dome of corn masa stuffed with chicken, cheese and roasted peppers. It's definitely not the speedy solution for a 20-minute meal, but don’t despair. Like many other special dishes, it’s worth the time and trouble it takes to prepare.
Serves 4
Tamale masa
- 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
- 1 ½ pounds masa (don't use corn meal)*
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1 TB. salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
Green Chile Pesto
- 4 poblano peppers
- Olive oil
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic (2 or 3 cloves)
- 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons pine nuts
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
Chicken Filling
- 2 large cooked chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 pounds raw chicken) cut into 1/4-inch dice
- ¾ cup (about 3 ounces) shredded Cheddar cheese
- ¾ cup fresh of defrosted frozen corn kernels
- 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
- 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
Enchilada Sauce
To prepare the tamale masa, place the butter in a large bowl and beat until light and fluffy using an electric mixer at medium speed. Add masa, and beat until fully blended. Slowly stir in chicken stock, salt, cumin and baking powder, blending well to ensure even distribution. Set masa aside.
Preheat even to 350 degrees. Brush chile peppers lightly with oil and place on a foil-lined cookie sheet. Roast peppers 10 to 15 minutes or until skins blister. Place peppers in a paper bag for 1-2 minutes; cool slightly, then pull off skins.
Slit peppers In half lengthwise, remove membranes and seeds and dice coarsely. Measure out 1/2 cup peppers and transfer to the container of a blender. Add minced garlic, Parmesan cheese, pine nuts, olive oil and salt. Puree until smooth.
Place remaining diced peppers and all chicken filling ingredients in a large bowl, tossing well.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Fill a very large roasting pan with about 3 inches of very hot water. Place pan in oven.
To mold "pies" spray four 3-cup, oven-proof soup bowls with non-stick vegetable cooking spray. Spread an even layer of the masa along the bottom and side of each bowl, using about 3/4 cup of masa for each bowl. To each masa lined bowl add 3 to 4 tablespoons pesto and 1/2 cup chicken filling. Spread one-quarter of the remaining masa over the top of each "pie".
Place filled bowls in a roasting pan with the water bath, cover pan and bake 45 minutes to 1 hour or until masa is set. Unmold "pies" on serving plates. Top with your favorite enchilada sauce and garnish with pico de gallo.
*Available in most grocery stores.