- 10 ears corn (or use 3 cups good-quality thawed frozen or canned corn, with 1 [8-ounce] package dried corn husks, softened; see Notes)
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ½ cup dried hominy grits
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- ½ cup diced roasted red bell pepper
- ½ teaspoon coarse salt
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper
- Pinch of sugar (optional)
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- Fresh Salsa (recipe follows), for serving
- Sour cream, for serving
- 4 medium ripe tomatoes, cored, seeded, and finely diced
- ¼ red onion minced
- 2 jalapeno chiles, stemmed, seeded if desired, and minced
- 1 bunch cilantro, leaves only, chopped
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
- ¾ teaspoon coarse salt
- Pinch of freshly ground black pepper
- Remove the corn husks by cutting off both ends of the cobs, trying to keep the husks whole. Place the largest husks in a pot of hot water and set aside to soak.
- To make the stuffing, working over a bowl, run the point of a sharp knife down the center of each row of kernels to release the juices, and then scrape with the dull side to remove the kernels from the cob.
- Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Saute the grits with the paprika 1 to 2 minutes. Add the red pepper, the corn and its juices, the salt, white pepper, sugar to taste, and the cream and simmer until the mixture thickens, 5 to 8 minutes. Set aside to cool. Then stir in the baking powder and refrigerate.
- Drain the corn husks on paper towels. Make ties for the tamales by cutting a few of the husks into 10 to 12 strips.
- To stuff the tamales, overlap 2 or 3 husks on a counter and spread about 3 tablespoons of filling down the center. Fold over the sides and then the ends to enclose the filling. Tie with a corn husk string. Repeat with the remaining husks and filling.
- In a steamer or large pot fitted with a rack, make a bed for the tamales by lining the steamer rack with the remaining corn husks. Add the tamales and steam over low heat 1 hour.
- Remove from the steamer and let rest 10 minutes. Serve hot with the fresh salsa and sour cream. (Leftover tamales can be reheated in a steamer over simmering water for 20 to 30 minutes.)
- For the Salsa:
- Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl. Stir and toss well. Serve immediately, or store in a covered container in the refrigerator no longer than a day.