Chicken Tamales
These homemade chicken tamales offer a taste of authentic Mexican cuisine, featuring tender chicken enveloped in a savory masa dough. The rich, comforting flavors of the chicken, combined with the aromatic spices and the subtle sweetness of raisins, create a satisfying and traditional meal. Steamed to perfection, these tamales offer a delightful texture and are perfect for a festive gathering or a comforting weeknight dinner.
Ingredients
- as needed Dried Corn Husks (Quantity estimated (not specified in original recipe))
- 1 Chicken, cut into pieces (Quantity estimated (not specified in original recipe))
- as needed Water (Quantity estimated (not specified in original recipe))
- as needed Cornmeal (masa harina) (Quantity estimated (not specified in original recipe))
- to taste Salt (Quantity estimated (not specified in original recipe))
- 1 tablespoon Chile Powder
- 1 tablespoon Butter (or vegetable shortening) (Originally lard. Substituted with butter for modern preference. Can also use vegetable shortening for similar texture.)
- as needed Chile Sauce No. 1 (Quantity estimated (not specified in original recipe))
- 1/4 cup Sliced Olives
- a few Whole Olives (Quantity estimated (not specified in original recipe))
- 1/4 cup Seedless Raisins
- 1 quart Water (For steaming, quantity estimated (not specified in original recipe))
Instructions
- 1Soak the dried corn husks in cold water for several hours until softened. Then, boil them until soft. Remove the husks from the water and dry them on a clean cloth. Rub the softened husks with butter or vegetable shortening.
- 2Cut up the chicken into pieces. Place the chicken in a pot with enough water to cover it. Cook the chicken over medium heat until very tender, reserving about four cups of the broth.
- 3Chop up the cooked chicken. In a separate pot, bring the reserved chicken broth to a boil. Gradually add cornmeal (masa harina) to the boiling broth, stirring constantly until a thick dough forms. Season with salt to taste and add the chile powder and butter (or vegetable shortening). Knead the mixture until light and smooth.
- 4To the chopped chicken, add enough chile sauce No. 1 to mix thickly together. Add the sliced olives, a few whole olives, and the seedless raisins. Season with salt to taste and cook together for 5 minutes. Spread a thin layer of the corn dough evenly over a prepared corn husk, about 1/8 inch thick. Place a spoonful of the chicken mixture in the center of the dough. Spread a tablespoon of dough over the chicken. Place another prepared husk spread with dough over the filling. Continue layering husks around the filling until about ten husks are used. Tie the ends of the tamales together with strips of corn husk.
- 5Place the assembled tamales upright in a colander over boiling water and steam for 2-3 hours, or place some corn husks in the bottom of a vessel, pile the tamales on top, pour in about a quart of water, bring to a boil, and steam slowly for 3-4 hours.