Chicken Tamales With Ranchero Sauce Recipe 475

CHICKEN TAMALES

Steps:

• Cover corn husks with cold water; soak until softened, at least 2 hours., Place chicken, onion, salt and garlic in a 6-qt. stockpot. Pour in 3 qt. water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, until chicken is tender, 45-60 minutes. Remove chicken from broth. When cool enough to handle, remove bones and skin; discard. Shred chicken. Strain cooking juices; skim fat. Reserve 6 cups stock., For dough, beat shortening until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Beat in small amounts of masa harina alternately with small amounts of reserved stock, using no more than 2 cups stock. Drop a small amount of dough into a cup of cold water; dough should float. If not, continue beating, rechecking every 1-2 minutes., For filling, heat oil in a Dutch oven; stir in flour until blended. Cook and stir over medium heat until lightly browned, 7-9 minutes. Stir in seasonings, chicken and remaining stock; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 45 minutes., Drain corn husks and pat dry; tear 4 husks to make 20 strips for tying tamales. (To prevent husks from drying out, cover with a damp towel until ready to use.) On wide end of each remaining husk, spread 3 tablespoons dough to within 1/2 in. of side edges; top each with 2 tablespoons chicken filling and 2 teaspoons olives. Fold long sides of husk over filling, overlapping slightly. Fold over narrow end of husk; tie with a strip of husk to secure., Place a large steamer basket in the stockpot over water; place tamales upright in steamer. Bring to a boil; steam, covered, adding hot water as needed, until dough peels away from husk, about 45 minutes.

CHICKEN TAMALES WITH RANCHERO SAUCE RECIPE - (4.7/5)

Steps:

• Submerge corn husks in a large pot filled with warm water. Soak 30 minutes; drain and discard water. Combine stock and ancho chiles in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium; simmer 5 minutes. Remove from heat; let stand 5 minutes. Drain chiles over a bowl; reserve soaking liquid. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion; cook 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium; stir in oregano, 1 teaspoon salt, and garlic. Sauté 7 minutes. Add chipotle; cook 1 minute. Stir in 2 cups reserved soaking liquid, tomato paste, cumin, and tomato sauce; cook 4 minutes or until mixture thickens slightly. Place ancho chiles and onion mixture in a blender. Remove center piece of blender lid (to allow steam to escape); secure blender lid on blender. Place a clean towel over opening in blender lid (to avoid splatters). Blend until smooth. Return mixture to skillet over medium heat. Stir in chocolate; cook 1 minute. Remove 1 1/2 cups sauce from skillet; reserve. Add chicken to skillet. Remove from heat; cool to room temperature. Combine masa harina, baking powder, and remaining 1 teaspoon kosher salt in a bowl. Cut in lard with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add remaining 2 cups soaking liquid and 1 1/2 cups water; stir until a soft dough forms. Knead dough in bowl until smooth and pliable. Tear a few corn husks lengthwise into 24 thin strips. Place 1 corn husk on a work surface, with narrow end facing you. Place about 3 heaping tablespoons masa mixture in center of husk, about 1 inch from top; press into a 4 x 3 1/2-inch rectangle. Spoon 2 1/2 tablespoons chicken mixture down center of masa rectangle. Fold sides of husk over filling; fold narrow end up to form a packet. Tie strip around tamale to secure the packet. Repeat procedure with remaining husks, dough, filling, and husk strips. Poke holes in bottom of a 13 1/2 x 9 1/2-inch shallow disposable aluminum pan; cut corners from rim down to bottom to make it pliable. Fit pan into bottom of a 6-quart oval or rectangular slow cooker; pour remaining 1 cup water into pan. Line bottom of pan with a damp kitchen towel. Stand tamales in prepared pan, with open ends facing upright. Cover slow cooker (weighing down lid if necessary to keep it closed); cook on HIGH for 4 hours or until masa is set. Let tamales stand 10 minutes. Serve with remaining sauce.

RED CHILE CHICKEN TAMALES

Steps:

• For the filling: Toast the chiles on both sides in a dry skillet over medium heat until pliable, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and cover with boiling water; let stand until soft, about 30 minutes.
• Reserve 1 cup of the soaking water and drain the rest. Puree the chiles, reserved soaking liquid, garlic, onion, oregano and cumin in a blender until smooth.
• Heat the oil in a medium skillet over high heat until hot. Add the chile puree and fry, stirring (be careful, the mixture may splatter), until very thick and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Stir in the chicken broth and 1 teaspoon salt, then add the chicken. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium low and simmer, partially covered, turning the chicken occasionally, until cooked through, about 35 minutes.
• Transfer the chicken to a cutting board. Increase the heat to medium high and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens, about 15 minutes. Shred the chicken into small pieces and then coarsely chop. Transfer to a bowl and add enough of the sauce to coat it well; season with salt. Reserve the remaining sauce to serve on the side. Refrigerate both until ready to use.
• Soak the corn husks in a large bowl of hot water until pliable, about 1 hour. Fill a large pot with 1 inch of water and place a steamer insert inside.
• For the masa: Mix the masa harina with 2 cups of the chicken broth, kneading by hand to incorporate. Cover and let stand for 20 minutes.
• Beat the lard, baking powder and salt in a large bowl with an electric mixer on high until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the masa harina mixture in 2 batches and beat very well to combine. Add the remaining 3/4 cup chicken broth and beat until lightened and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Form a small ball of masa and see if it floats in a glass of water. If it does not, continue to beat the masa for a few minutes until the masa floats. Cover with plastic and let sit for 30 minutes.
• Assemble the tamales: Drain the corn husks and wring them dry.
• Lay a corn husk on a work surface, smoother side up, with the wide part of the husk closer to you. Spoon about 3 tablespoons of masa onto the bottom half of the husk and use an offset spatula to spread in a thin, even layer (leaving the top half of the husk bare). Spoon a heaping tablespoon of the chicken mixture onto the masa. Then roll the husk up to enclose the filling. Fold the narrow side of the tamale under and arrange the tamale, open-side up, in the steamer insert. Repeat with the remaining masa, husks and filling.
• Bring the water in the pot to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to medium, cover the pot and steam until the masa is cooked through and separates easily from the husk, about 1 hour 20 minutes. Transfer to a platter and let stand for 10 minutes before serving.
• Warm the reserved sauce and serve on the side.

CHICKEN TAMALES

Steps:

• Soak the corn husks in a bowl of hot water, using a plate to keep them submerged, until pliable, 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, make the filling: Bring the bouillon powder and 4 cups water to a simmer in a medium pot over medium heat. Add the chicken and simmer until cooked through, 12 to 15 minutes. Remove the chicken and let cool; cut into small pieces. Reserve the broth.
• Puree the cilantro and 1 1/4 cups of the reserved broth in a food processor until smooth (save the remaining broth for another use). Transfer to a medium pot. Add the garlic, cumin and salsa and bring to a simmer over medium heat; cook until slightly reduced, about 12 minutes. Stir in the chicken and season with salt. Remove from the heat and let cool.
• Make the dough: Soak the ancho chile in hot water until soft, about 15 minutes. Drain the chile, then mince to make a paste. Combine the chile paste, masa harina, lard, 2 2/3 cups warm water and 2 teaspoons salt
• in a bowl. Mix with your hands (or use a mixer with the paddle attachment) 10 to 15 minutes, or until a marble-size ball of dough floats in water.
• Drain the husks and pat dry. Starting 1/2 inch from the wide end, spread about 3 tablespoons of the dough down a husk, leaving a 1-inch border on the sides. Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the chicken filling down the center of the dough, then fold in the sides of the husk, wrapping the dough around the filling. Fold up the narrow end of the husk. Repeat with the remaining husks, dough and filling.
• Set a steamer basket in a large pot filled with 1 to 2 inches of water. Arrange the tamales standing up in the steamer, folded-side down. Bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat, then cover and steam until the tamales pull away from the husks, about 1 hour. Remove from the steamer and let cool slightly before unwrapping.

RED CHICKEN TAMALES (TAMALES ROJOS DE POLLO)

Steps:

• Place corn husks in a bowl, cover with boiling water, and soak for a few hours. Drain, place on a work surface, and cover with a clean, damp towel.
• Place chicken in a pot, season with salt, and cover with water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, reduce heat, cover, and simmer until chicken is cooked through, 20 to 25 minutes. Drain chicken and shred with 2 forks.
• Heat a griddle over medium heat and toast ancho and mulato chiles until fragrant, 3 to 5 minutes. Place in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Soak until soft, about 25 minutes. Combine ancho and mulato chiles, garlic, cumin seeds, and about 1/2 cup of the soaking water in a blender; blend until a thick, smooth, mole-like sauce forms, adding more water if necessary.
• Heat 1 tablespoon lard in a saucepan over medium heat and add the sauce; cook for 3 to 5 minutes. Add shredded chicken and cook until flavors are combined and chicken is heated through, about 5 minutes.
• Place remaining lard in a large bowl; beat with an electric mixer until creamy. Add masa harina, chicken broth, baking powder, and 1 1/2 teaspoon salt, and beat until all ingredients are well combined. Test if the masa is ready by dropping a small ball of masa into a glass of cold water; if it floats, it's ready, if not, keep working the dough a little longer.
• Select 1 wide corn husk. Spread about 2 tablespoons masa mixture onto the the corn husk, filling it up to 2 inches from the bottom and 1/4 inch from the top. Add 1 tablespoon of the chicken filling in the center of the masa mixture. Fold sides of husk together, one over the other. Fold the bottom of the husk over the seam of the 2 folded sides. Repeat with remaining husks.
• Place a steamer insert into a saucepan and fill with water to just below the bottom of the steamer. Bring water to a boil. Add tamales with the open side up and cook until filling is heated through and separates from the husk, about 1 hour. Let tamales rest for 15 minutes before serving.

RANCHERO SAUCE

Steps:

• Cut the prepared poblano chiles into 1/4-inch-thick strips (rajas); set aside. Chop together the blackened tomatoes and serranos and set aside. In a large, heavy skillet, heat the oil over low heat and sauté the onion and garlic until soft but not brown, about 10 minutes (add up to 1/4 cup water, if necessary, to provide moisture and prevent browning). Add the chopped tomatoes and serranos, two-thirds of the poblanos (reserve one-third of the strips to add at the end), the cilantro, and the salt to the pan. Cover and cook over low heat until the flavors have married and the ingredients have lost their raw taste, 20 to 30 minutes. Remove the cilantro and stir in the reserved poblano strips.
• Serve immediately, or hold at room temperature for up to 2 hours. It can be prepared up to 1 day ahead, refrigerated, and gently warmed before serving (don't overcook).

RANCHERO SAUCE

Steps:

• Place bacon in a large skillet and cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until slightly browned, about 5 minutes. Cook and stir onion in the bacon grease until onion is transparent, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove bacon from skillet and drain on a paper towel-lined plate; crumble.
• Stir chopped tomatoes, tomato sauce, cilantro, jalapeno pepper, salt, pepper, and crumbled bacon into onion; bring to a simmer and cook until flavors blend, about 15 minutes.