Sartén de Tamal de los Domingos
El Lonche
The Peruvian Sunday breakfast is a sacred institution—plates piled high with fried pork, crusty bread, and steaming banana-leaf-wrapped tamales that some grandmother woke up at four in the morning to make. But for the diaspora kid living in Ohio, pulling off a traditional tamal on a Tuesday night is a pipe dream. Enter the skillet tamal. Borrowed from the pragmatic home kitchens of Moquegua, this brilliant hack treats the dish like a stuffed savory pancake. You get all the canonical, smoky flavors of ají panca and rich corn masa, plus a beautiful, crispy bottom crust you’d never get from a steamer, all in under an hour.
Before you start
Prepare the corn base.
If using frozen choclo, allow it to thaw completely. If using canned hominy, drain and rinse it aggressively in a colander to remove the canning liquid.
Boil and cool the eggs.
Prepare the hard-boiled eggs well in advance so they are completely cool to the touch, ensuring they peel easily and slice cleanly into structural rounds.
Ingredients
- frozen Peruvian choclo or canned white hominy1 lb
- chicken broth1/2 cup
- manteca de cerdo or vegetable shortening1/4 cup
- ají amarillo paste2 tbsp
- ají panca paste2 tbsp
- salt1 tsp
- ground cumin1/2 tsp
- vegetable oil3 tbsp
- boneless skinless chicken thighs1/2 lb
- red onion1 med
- garlic3 med clove
- roma tomato1 large
- black pepper1/4 tsp
- large eggs2 large
- Botija or Kalamata olives8 med
- roasted peanuts1/4 cup
- salsa criolla1 cup
Method
- 01
Process the corn into a coarse masa.
In a food processor, pulse the choclo or hominy with the warm chicken broth until it forms a thick, slightly coarse purée with a rustic, sandy texture.
- 02
Hydrate the masa with fat and flavor.
Transfer the purée to a bowl and fold in the melted lard, ají amarillo paste, one tablespoon of the ají panca paste, salt, and cumin until the dough turns a vibrant, pale orange.
- 03
Brown the chicken.
In a skillet over medium-high heat, add a tablespoon of oil and sauté the diced chicken until browned on all sides, then remove it to a plate, leaving the fat behind in the pan.
- 04
Start the aderezo.
Lower the heat to medium, add another tablespoon of oil and the diced onion, and cook until translucent while scraping up any browned bits from the chicken.
- 05
Finish the aderezo paste.
Add the garlic and remaining tablespoon of ají panca, cook for two minutes, then stir in the tomato and cook until it breaks down into a thick, jammy paste before stirring the chicken back in and removing from the heat.
- 06
Layer the base of the skillet tamal.
In a well-oiled 9-inch non-stick or cast-iron skillet over low heat, spread exactly half of the masa mixture into an even, flat layer across the bottom.
- 07
Add the canonical fillings.
Spoon the chicken aderezo evenly over the masa leaving a half-inch border, then distribute the sliced eggs, pitted olives, and roasted peanuts across the filling layer.
- 08
Seal the tamal and cook the first side.
Gently spread the remaining masa over the top to completely encase the filling, cover the skillet with a tight-fitting lid, and cook on medium-low heat for 10 to 12 minutes until a deep golden-brown crust forms on the bottom.
- 09
Execute the flip and finish cooking.
Remove the skillet from the heat, place a large flat plate upside down over it, and confidently invert them together so the tamal falls onto the plate crust-side up; gently slide it back into the pan raw-side down and cook uncovered for another 10 minutes.
- 10
Rest, slice, and serve.
Slide the finished tamal onto a cutting board, let it rest for five minutes so the starches set, then slice it into wedges and serve immediately topped generously with salsa criolla.
Notes
Mastering the skillet flip.
The key to a successful skillet tamal is avoiding hesitation. Place the plate flush against the skillet, hold them tightly together with oven mitts, and invert them quickly and confidently. If the pan looks dry after the flip, add a tiny splash of oil before sliding the tamal back in to ensure a crispy crust on the second side.
Sourcing the holy trinity of Peruvian flavor.
You can find frozen choclo, ají amarillo paste, and ají panca paste at almost any local Latin market, or order them easily online. These are non-negotiable for achieving that authentic, smoky, coastal tamal flavor at home.
From Cook Peruvian in America.