Green Chili Chicken Tamales

Spring break and what do I do?

I know make tamales!  My family really likes this recipe and it is not too hard.
I found this recipe on line at: PlateOnline.com.  It is by Chef Charlie Baggs of Chicago.

The raw ingredients assembled and ready to go.  The lime is not mentioned in the recipe.  I used inside the chicken when I roasted it.

The tomatillos husked and ready to go.  I roasted the tomatillos, jalepeno pepper and garlic all together.  The recipe just calls for the tomatillos to be roasted.  I did coat them with a little canola oil.

 The roasted veggies.

 The roasted chicken.  I seasoned the chicken with salt, pepper, cumin and stuffed the inside with cilantro and lime.  You could also use a store bought rotisserie chicken for this recipe.
I planned on having a picture of the roasted chicken but someone snuck into my house and ate the crisp skin off the roasted chicken while I was here by myself!  I am still trying to find out who did this!

 The sauce for the filling.

The chicken and sauce combined to make the filling.  I added 3/8 of a teaspoon of chipolte chile powder to the filling.

The tamales assembled and in the steamer.  Mine took 1 1/4 hours in my oven roaster to cook.

Done!
All that is left now is too enjoy.

The recipe:
Please note that you can produce 1/2 the masa recipe and it will come out just about right.

GREEN CHILE CHICKEN TAMALES  

Yield: 24 tamales

Tomatillos, husked, rinsed 12 each, medium

Jalapeños, seeds removed, minced  2 each or 1/4 C

Garlic cloves, minced  4 each or 1 TBS

Corn oil 1 1/2 TBS

Chicken stock    2 C

Chicken, roasted, shredded  6 C

Cilantro, chopped    2/3 C

Kosher salt   1 TBS

Freshly ground black pepper 1/2 tsp

Masa batter       3 C

Sugar     as needed

Cornhusks, large, soaked in water 26 each

Instructions:

1. Preheat broiler. Place tomatillos on baking sheet and broil on all sides until soft and charred; set aside until cool enough to handle. Purée roasted tomatillos with jalapeños, garlic and any tomatillo juices from baking sheet.

2. In a large saucepan over medium-high heat, heat oil for about 1 minute; add purée and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add chicken stock and reduce until sauce coats spoon, about 8 minutes. Mix in shredded chicken and cilantro. Add salt and pepper to taste. If filling is too sour, add a pinch of sugar to taste.

3. Drain cornhusks. Tear 2 cornhusks into 24- by 1/4-inch strips; set aside for tying the tamales. Place 1 cornhusk on work surface with tapered end down. Moisten fingers in water to prevent sticking; form 1/4-cup masa batter into a rectangle in the center, leaving a 1-inch border on bottom and sides. This will produce a rectangle approximately 4 x 2 inches. Spread 2 tablespoons chicken filling on top of the masa. Bring in both sides of the cornhusk and wrap around to form a cylinder to completely surround the filling. Bring up bottom tapered end and tie closed with 1 cornhusk strip. The top will remain open. Make sure they are not tied too tightly; the tamales need room to expand. Repeat with remaining ingredients.

4. Set up a vegetable steamer in a large pot with 2 inches water. Stand tamales on sealed end. Cover and steam for 60 minutes. Tamales are done when cornhusk easily pulls away from masa.

Masa Batter

Yield: 48 Tamales

1 1/3 c Lard, chilled

2 t Kosher salt

1 ½ t baking powder

6 c Maseca ( see note)

3 c chicken broth

With an electric mixer at medium speed, beat lard, salt and baking powder until well incorporated, about 1 minute.

Reduce speed and add maseca in thirds, scraping down bowl and bearing between additions.

Add chicken broth and beat until batter resembles soft cooking dough batter.

Cover with a damp towel if not using right away.

Note:  Maseca is a dry, instant masa mix.

Hope you enjoy.

Until next time

Happy eating and cooking

Chef Leslie Bartosh