Chicken Tamales with Tomatillo-Guajillo Salsa

• Serves: 4-6

• Source: The Homesick Texan's Family Table
• Contributor: Mike

Ingredients

Chicken

• 1 (4-pound) chicken
• Water
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 sprig cilantro
• 1 jalapeño
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more as needed
• 1 teaspoon black peppercorns

Tomatillo-Guajillo Salsa

• 8 ounces tomatillos, husked and halved
• 1/4 yellow onion
• 2 cloves of garlic (left whole)
• 2 cups water
• 4 guajillo chiles, rehydrated, stemmed, and seeded
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
• Salt

Tamales

• 32 dried corn husks
• 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 4 cups masa harina
• 1 1/2 cups chicken broth, from the poached chicken or store bought
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne

Instructions

1. Place the chicken in a large pot and cover with water by 1 inch. Add the garlic, cilantro, jalapeño, bay leaf, salt, and peppercorns.
2. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down to low.
3. Simmer, uncovered, for 45 minutes.
4. Remove the chicken from the broth with tongs and place in a large bowl. When cool enough to handle, remove the skin and bones and shred the chicken.
5. Strain the broth, discarding the vegetables, then remove the fat from the broth with a gravy separator. Add salt to taste. Reserve 1 1/2 cups for the tamale dough.
6. Toss the chicken with 1/4 cup of the cooking broth. Taste and add salt if needed.
7. Combine the tomatillos, onion, garlic, and water in a pot. Bring to a boil, turn the heat down, and simmer until the tomatillos are soft, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat an allow to cool, about 10 minutes.
8. Combine the tomatillo mixture in a blender with the guajillo chiles, cumin, and allspice. Blend on high until smooth, 3 to 5 minutes.
9. Using the same pot, heat the oil over medium-low heat. Pour in the salsa and cook, occasionally stirring, until the flavors have deepened, about 10 minutes.
10. Taste and add salt. Toss 1/2 cup of the salsa with the shredded chicken, reserving the rest for serving.
11. To make the tamales, submerge the cornhusks in a pan of warm water; they must be completely covered. Let soak until soft and pliable, 45 minutes.
12. To make the masa dough, in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium speed, beat the butter until fluffy and creamy. Add the masa marina, chicken broth and cayenne and continue to beat until the dough comes together into a moist paste.
13. To form the tamales, take a cornhusk, which you'll notice has four sides and is in sort of a cone shape. Place the cornhusk in front of you, with the pointed end at your right. On the top, wide part of the husk, spoon out 1/4 cup of the masa and spread it out leaving a clean 1/4 inch border around the masa on the sides and top. Place 2 tablespoons of the shredded chicken in the center of the masa.
14. To roll the tamales, fold the husk in half, joining together the two long sides (not the pointed end or the wide top). Fold again, folding the two long sides together. Now take the pointed end and fold it up about one-quarter way of the way up the tamale to secure it. Alternatively, you can rip strips from a cornhusk and after rolling, tie up each end like it's a package.
15. Place a steamer basket or a colander in a tall pot. Add water to the pot just to the base of the basket. Don't let the water get into it. Place the tamales in the basket seam-side up, stacking them flat on top of each other, bring the water to a boil, and stack the tamales to the top of the basket or colander. If your basket or colander is not tall enough to contain all of them, however, you can steam the tamales in batches.
16. Check the water level occasionally to make sure there's enough in the pot. If it's getting too dry, take out the tamale basket and add more water. Steam the tamales for 2 hours. You'll know they're done when the masa pulls cleanly away from the husk.
17. Let them rest for a few minutes and then serve warm with the tomatillo-guajillo salsa.

CategoryRecipesDinner