Tamalitos Antiguos (Fish tamales)

I prepared these dainty tamales a couple months ago for Que Rica Vida, and making them made me wonder why I don’t do it more often! I had completely forgotten how tender the fish becomes when cooked this way, and how the simple flavors come together so beautifully. If you are looking for an easy and cheap fish dish, this is it. Only three ingredients are needed: fish, chili (ideally aji amarillo), and butter; and it’s ready in a matter of minutes. During the summer, you can even forget about the oven and just throw them on the BBQ. Your friends will soon forget the hot dogs and burgers they ate, but rest assured that they will not forget these tamales.

This dish got this name (which means “ancient tamales”), because it’s one of the oldest recipes from the northern part of Peru. Some things never get old!

Click here for the recipe.