Time taken: 5 hours
Makes 3 1/2 to 5 dozen tamales
Note: Adapted from a recipe by Dora Gonzalez.
Ingredients
Boiled chicken
1 whole (1.3kg) chicken, plus 4 chicken breasts (about 900g)
4 tsp salt
Lemon, halved
1 head garlic, halved crosswise
1 tbs black pepper
1 tbs ground cumin
1/4 tsp dried oregano leaves
2 green bell peppers, coarsely chopped
1 bunch cilantro
1 bay leaf
4 stalks celery
Powdered chicken bouillon, preferably Knorr tomato bouillon with chicken flavour
Steps
1 Sprinkle the whole chicken and breasts evenly with the salt. Squeeze the lemon over, rubbing the juice and salt into the chicken.
2 Place the chicken in a large stock pot with enough water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to a simmer and skim any foam that accumulates on the surface of the water.
3 Continue to cook for 5 minutes, skimming any additional foam, then add the halved garlic, pepper, cumin, oregano, bell peppers, cilantro, bay leaf and celery. Taste the broth, and add 2 tablespoons bouillon, or to taste.
4 Simmer the chicken for 20 to 25 minutes, adding water to keep the chicken submerged by 2 inches. The chicken may not be fully cooked (it will continue to cook in a sauce later in the recipe). Remove the chicken and strain the broth, discarding the spices and solids. Set the chicken aside until cool enough to handle, and save the broth (you should have at least 12 to 14 cups broth).
Spices and herbs
1 (113g) packet tamale spices and herbs 1 dried guajillo chile
1 dried ancho chile
1/4 tsp annato paste or powder
Steps
1 Open up the packaged tamale spices and remove all but 2 bay leaves (the bay leaves can be discarded or saved for another use); if the packet includes a guajillo chile, disregard adding the chile called for in the ingredients. Place the spices in a dry skillet, along with the guajillo and ancho chiles. Toast the spices until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes.
2 Place the toasted spices and chiles, along with the annato paste, in a blender along with enough hot water to cover (about 1 cup). Soak until the spices and chiles are softened, 10 to 15 minutes, then purée the mixture. Add water if needed to purée.
3 Strain the mixture, discarding the solids, and set aside.
Sauce
5 cloves garlic
1.8kg very ripe plum tomatoes
2 green bell peppers, coarsely chopped
1 red bell pepper, coarsely chopped
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp ground cumin
3 onions, coarsely chopped
Prepared spices and herbs
Prepared chicken, cooled
Prepared chicken broth
Powdered chicken bouillon
Steps
1 In a blender (this may need to be done in batches), combine the garlic, tomatoes, green and red bell peppers, black pepper, cumin and onion. Purée to form a smooth sauce, then place in a stock pot along with the prepared spices and herbs.
2 Peel the chicken meat from the bones, discarding the skin and bones. Place the meat in the pot with the sauce, thinning the sauce if desired with chicken broth. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pot frequently to prevent the mixture from burning. Simmer until the flavours are married and the chicken is fully cooked, 10 to 20 minutes. Taste for seasoning, adding 2 tablespoons bouillon, or as desired. Remove from heat and set aside until cool enough to handle.
Tamale ingredients
900g-1.3kg red or white boiling potatoes
3 1/2 to 5 dozen banana leaf squares, approximately 8 inches square (dimensions will vary depending on the size of the tamales)
Chicken and sauce
1 (425g) can garbanzo beans, drained and peeled
1 (113g) jar capers, drained
About 1 heaping cup drained green olives (whole or pimento-stuffed)
3 1/2 to 5 dozen foil squares, approximately 10 to 12 inches square (dimensions will vary depending on the size of the tamales)
Steps
1 Place the potatoes in a pot and cover with at least an inch of water. Bring to a boil and cook the potatoes until a knife pierces easily, about 30 minutes. Drain the potatoes, still unpeeled, cutting them into long, large “steak fry”-sized pieces.
2 Prepare the banana leaves: Trim any stem from the leaves, and wash if they are dirty. To soften, pass the leaves quickly over a stove-top burner (the heat will soften the leaf, making it easier to roll and fold), or run the leaves under very hot water (dry before using).
3 Prepare the ingredients to assemble the tamales. Have the chicken and sauce handy, cutting or shredding the chicken if desired into pieces. In separate bowls, place the potatoes, garbanzo beans, capers and green olives. Place a banana leaf (smooth side up) over each square of foil, stacking the squares to make the assembly easier.
Masa
Ingredients
About 1.1kg dried masa
Chicken broth
3 cups canola oil, more to taste
Prepared sauce
Powdered chicken bouillon
Water
Salt to taste
Steps
1 In a large pot, whisk together the masa with 10 cups chicken broth. Place a strainer over the masa, and ladle about 1 1/2 cups sauce into the strainer, whisking the strained sauce into the masa (toss any solids back in with the sauce). Whisk in the canola oil. Taste the mixture, and add 3 tablespoons bouillon, or as desired for flavour. Continue whisking in broth to thin the texture of the masa, along with additional oil as desired for richness. The final mixture should be smooth and have a consistency similar to ketchup.
2 Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Scrape the bottom of the pan frequently to keep the masa from scorching. Taste frequently, adding additional salt, water, sauce, chicken broth or oil. The trick is to keep the masa moving constantly; never stop moving, shaking or stirring the masa with a wooden spoon. Once the mixture comes to a boil, it is ready to use in the tamales. The mixture should be thick enough to stay in a tamale when assembling but not too thick that the tamale is difficult to fold.
Tamale assembly and cooking
Ingredients
Prepared banana leaves and foil squares
Prepared masa
Chicken and sauce
Potato
Garbanzos
Capers
Olive
Steps
1 Ladle a spoonful of masa (about one-half cup) onto the banana leaf about a third of the way from the edge, and top with a little chicken and a drizzle of sauce. Add a slice of potato, a few garbanzo beans, a few capers and 1 olive. Fold the banana leaf over the filling to form a tube, gently tucking in the filling and removing any air pockets. Fold over the foil, then tuck in the sides, sealing the tamale. Repeat until all of the tamales are formed. (If the masa thickens too much while assembling the tamales, stir in additional broth or water to thin.)
2 Fill the steamer with boiling water up to the measured line, and line the base with a layer of banana leaves. Start laying the tamales in the steamer, first along the outer rim and then in the centre. Repeat, stacking the tamales in the steamer. Place a few banana leaves over the top layer of tamales.
3 Cover and steam the tamales until the masa is set, 1 to 2 hours (timing will vary greatly depending on the size of the tamales and how many are stacked in each tamale pot). To check, remove a tamale and gently pull away the banana leaf; if the masa sticks, the tamale is not done. The tamales are finished when the banana leaf pulls away cleanly and the masa holds its shape.
4 Remove the tamales and cool before serving.
Each of 60 tamales:
Calories 179; Protein 6g; Carbohydrates 11g; Fibre 2g; Fat 12g; Saturated fat 1g; Cholesterol 14mg; Sugar 1g; Sodium 401mg
— Los Angeles Times
