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Editor's note: In addition to theMexican crema, Castro also recommends serving these tamales withCreamy Salsa VerdeandChipotle Chile Sauce
While tamales are one of Mexico's most famous street foods, they are also one of its most popular party foods, which is fitting since a tamal is packaged like a small gift waiting to be unwrapped. The many steps involved in tamal making have discouraged countless cooks. But they should not, because the process is very easy. And if you gather a few friends to help with the assembling, you can have a tamal-making party before the real party begins.
Ingredients
Makes 24 tamales
Chicken:
Tomatillo-Cilantro Sauce:
Tamal dough:
Assembly and garnish:
Poach and shred the chicken:
Step 1
Combine the onion, garlic, salt, and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the chicken breasts, bay leaves, and oregano and decrease the heat to a simmer. Cook the chicken, partially covered, for 35 minutes, or until cooked through. To check for doneness, slit the chicken in half to make sure the interior is no longer pink.
Step 2
Allow the chicken to cool in the broth. When cool enough to handle, remove the chicken from the pan. Strain and reserve the broth. Shred the chicken by hand by pulling apart the fibers of the chicken with your fingers and set aside.
Make the Tomatillo-Cilantro Sauce:
Step 3
Combine the tomatillos, jalapeños, cilantro, garlic, and water in a blender and purée until well blended.
Step 4
Heat the oil in a sauté pan over medium heat.
Step 5
When the oil is hot, add the onion and sauté until the onion is limp and translucent, about 8 minutes. Add the tomatillo mixture. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until the sauce thickens.
Step 6
Add the shredded chicken to the sauce and stir to coat. Allow to cook for 3 more minutes. Check the seasoning and adjust if needed. Set aside.
Prepare the corn husks
Step 7
Bring a large pot of water to a boil then remove from heat. Add the corn husks, making sure to submerge them under water, and cover the pot. Soak the corn husks in the pot for 20 minutes. They should be soft and flexible, and take on a deep beige color. Remove the corn husks from the water and wrap them in a damp paper towel until you are ready to use them.
Prepare the tamal dough:
Step 8
To make the masa, combine the masa harina with 2 cups of the reserved chicken broth and mix well. The masa should have the consistency of a stiff dough. Set aside.
Step 9
Put the lard in a mixing bowl. Beat the lard with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Add half of the masa and beat until well blended. Add the 3 tablespoons of the reserved chicken broth and the remaining masa and continue beating until a teaspoon of the dough dropped into a cup of cold water floats, about 10 minutes. If after 15 minutes of constant beating your dough does not float, move on (despite it not floating, the dough will be fine).
Step 10
Sprinkle the baking powder and the salt over the dough and mix in well.
Assemble the tamales:
Step 11
Place a corn husk lengthwise in front of you with the wide side closest to you. Spread 2 tablespoons of the dough all over the bottom half (wide side) of the corn husk, leaving about a 1-inch-wide border on the left and right sides.
Step 12
Place 2 heaping tablespoons of the filling lengthwise down the center of the dough. Pick up the two long sides of the cornhusk and unite them. Allow the dough to surround the filling by pinching together the corn husk where the dough comes together. Roll both sides of the corn husks in the same direction over the tamal. Fold down the empty top section of the cornhusk and secure it by tying a thin strip of corn husk around the tamal (the top will be open).
Step 13
Repeat this process until all the corn husks or tamal dough are used up.
Steam the tamales:
Step 14
Create a tamal steamer by crumpling a large piece of aluminum foil into a large ball. Place the foil ball in the center of a large saucepan and arrange the tamales "standing up" around it. You can stand tamales in front of each other; just make sure that the open end of the tamal is facing upward.
Step 15
Pour in 1/2 inch of water. Cover tightly with a lid and simmer for 40 minutes.
Serve:
Step 16
Serve warm accompanied by Mexican crema.
INGREDIENTS
Lard versus Shortening
For a truly authentic taste, you must use freshly rendered lard. If you buy commercial lard, make sure it is fresh, refrigerated lard; otherwise use vegetable shortening, which still produces a very good tamal.
TECHNIQUES
Poaching Chicken
You will end up with a juicier chicken if you allow it to cool in the broth. Make sure you save the broth, because it has a wonderful flavor that you will want to use when making the tamal dough.
Working with Corn Husks
Be careful not to open corn husks when they are dry because they will split and break. After soaking them in hot water, wrap in a damp paper towel until you are ready to use them. If they cool down and dry out before you are ready to use them, submerge them in hot water for a few minutes until pliable.
ADVANCE PREPARATION
Reheating Tamales
Cooked tamales can be refrigerated for a couple of days and reheated in a steamer or in the microwave. If you are using the microwave, put the tamales in a bowl and pour in 1/4 inch of water. Seal with plastic wrap and heat for 2 minutes. The steam created within the plastic will reheat the tamales. If reheating in a steamer, recreate the tamal steamer explained in the recipe and steam for 5 minutes.
Assembled but uncooked tamales can be frozen. When you are ready to serve them, steam them straight from the freezer for 1 hour 20 minutes (twice the cooking time). Do not defrost before cooking.
How would you rate Chicken Tamales with Tomatillo-Cilantro Sauce?
Leave a Review
Reviews (7)
Back to TopAmazing collection of recipes! Could make a cook book out of this site! You may check this out guys at www.wikichicken.com. Have found some interesting facts about chicken.
brewer22
1/8/2012
I just made the chicken and sauce, and used it as a burrito filling. Roasted the tomatillos and a serrano pepper prior to blending up the sauce. A tasty and reasonably quick meal.
mejohnst
seattle, wa
10/7/2011
So INcredibly goood! Completely worth the 2 1/2 hours time it took to prepare. I don't like greasy tamales, and these were not greasy at all. The tomatillo chicken mix made the tamales so light and flavorful. It is tempting to add more broth to the masa mix because it's a stiff dough texture. Don't so your final dough is firm enough to lay out in the corn husks. We'll make it again but with a tamale party to go with it!
Lavonnag
Austin, TX
6/16/2011
This is a very good recipe. I made it as stated and it was delicious. If your tamales were "gooey" then you probably didn't cook them enough. They will be fine after reheating. fresh from the steamer tamales are softer than when you eat them reheated though so maybe you weren't expecting that. Tamales can be tricky and humidity can be a big factor in knowing how much liquid to add to the masa. Experience is worth a lot. Keep trying. They only get better.
Iowonian
5/28/2011
的se were a TON of putzy work...the tamales them selves came out gooey rather than firm. The flavor overall was good.
Anonymous
Enchanted Island
5/22/2011
的tamales where great served with the creamy salsa verde and chipotle chile sauce. I used a prepared tamale dough and it worked fine.
Anonymous
Davis
1/9/2010