Chicken Tamales With Tomatillo Salsa Recipes

CHICKEN IN GREEN SALSA TAMALES

Steps:

• Cook the tomatoes, peppers, and garlic in a pot with water. Until they are cooked and tender.
• Place the tomatoes, peppers,
• and garlic in the blender and puree until smooth.
• Season with salt.
• In a large bowl beat the lard until it changes to lighter color. This can be done with the help of your mixer or by hand. Add slowly the corn masa harina, baking powder, and chicken broth. Mix well and taste to season with salt. Beat until all ingredients are well combined and the dough is light and spongy.
• Remove the husks from their package and place the husks to soak in a warm bath of water for 40 minutes. This could be done in a large pot or in your kitchen sink. This step will help to soften the husks and easily be pliable while wrapping the corn dough.
• Remove the husks from their warm bath, dry with the cloth or paper towels.
• Place the corn husk on your work surface with the wide end facing towards you. Place about 2-3 tablespoons of dough in the center but closer to the bottom of the corn husk spreading evenly. Top with 2 tablespoons of the chicken-green sauce filling in the center of the husk. Fold one side of the husk to the center and fold the other side to the center, too. Fold the bottom towards the center. Repeat process with remaining husks and filling.
• Line the tamales on a tray while you are finishing up with the rest of the assembly process. Getting your pot ready for steaming. Add 3 cups of hot water to the pot and place the steamer rack. Place a layer of corn husk on the steamer rack. (Note: you do not need to buy a tamal steamer pot if you don't have it already. Just improvise with what you already have).
• Place the tamales in a standing position.
• Cover with a layer of the corn husks and a dish towel and the pot lid. Steam for about 60 minutes in a medium heat or after taking one tamal and checking if the husk easily separates from the dough. Check during the steaming time in case the steamer need more water. Be careful while removing the lid. Serve while still hot. When done wait for 10 minutes the dough will firm up after that.
• To reheat a tamal I use the convenience of the microwave. It just needs 1 minute in high per tamal. You can also steam it again to warm it up and the other option is to place it on a hot griddle turning 2 or 3 times until warm.

TAMALE CASSEROLE WITH CHICKEN AND ROASTED-TOMATILLO SALSA

Steps:

• Heat the broiler. Place the tomatillos on a baking sheet. Place the baking sheet 4 inches below the heating element. Broil tomatillos, turning once, until soft and blackened in spots, 8 to 9 minutes. Remove baking sheet from broiler, and set aside until tomatillos are cool. Position the oven rack in the upper third of the oven. Reduce the temperature to 425 degrees. Lightly oil an 8-inch pie plate; set plate aside.
• Place garlic in a medium skillet set over medium heat. After 5 minutes, add chiles. Cook, turning occasionally, until chiles and garlic are soft and blackened in spots, about 10 minutes more. Remove skillet from heat; set aside to cool. Peel the garlic.
• Transfer the tomatillos, any accumulated juice, chiles, and garlic to the bowl of a food processor or the jar of a blender. Cover, and pulse until a coarse puree forms. Transfer puree to a medium bowl.
• Place the onions in a sieve, and rinse under cold running water. Drain, and add to tomatillo mixture along with cilantro and salt; stir salsa until combined.
• Measure 3/4 cup salsa into a medium saute pan, and stir in the chicken. Set over medium heat, and cook, stirring, until chicken becomes tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat, and set aside to cool.
• Spread half of the tamale batter over bottom of prepared pie plate. Spread the chicken filling evenly over the batter, then spread remaining batter over chicken.
• Bake until golden, about 5 minutes.
• Reduce temperature to 300 degrees, and lightly brush top of pie with oil; loosely cover with foil. Continue baking until golden and center springs back when touched, about 35 minutes more. Remove casserole from oven, and let stand 5 minutes.
• Cut the casserole into wedges. Serve casserole warm, and drizzle with the remaining tomatillo salsa; if salsa is too thick to drizzle, thin with 1 or 2 tablespoons water.

CHICKEN TAMALES WITH TOMATILLO-CILANTRO SAUCE

Steps:

• Poach and shred the chicken:
• Combine the onion, garlic, salt, and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the chicken breasts, bay leaves, and oregano and decrease the heat to a simmer. Cook the chicken, partially covered, for 35 minutes, or until cooked through. To check for doneness, slit the chicken in half to make sure the interior is no longer pink.
• Allow the chicken to cool in the broth. When cool enough to handle, remove the chicken from the pan. Strain and reserve the broth. Shred the chicken by hand by pulling apart the fibers of the chicken with your fingers and set aside.
• Make the Tomatillo-Cilantro Sauce:
• Combine the tomatillos, jalapeños, cilantro, garlic, and water in a blender and purée until well blended.
• Heat the oil in a sauté pan over medium heat.
• When the oil is hot, add the onion and sauté until the onion is limp and translucent, about 8 minutes. Add the tomatillo mixture. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for about 5 minutes, or until the sauce thickens.
• Add the shredded chicken to the sauce and stir to coat. Allow to cook for 3 more minutes. Check the seasoning and adjust if needed. Set aside.
• Prepare the corn husks
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil then remove from heat. Add the corn husks, making sure to submerge them under water, and cover the pot. Soak the corn husks in the pot for 20 minutes. They should be soft and flexible, and take on a deep beige color. Remove the corn husks from the water and wrap them in a damp paper towel until you are ready to use them.
• Prepare the tamal dough:
• To make the masa, combine the masa harina with 2 cups of the reserved chicken broth and mix well. The masa should have the consistency of a stiff dough. Set aside.
• Put the lard in a mixing bowl. Beat the lard with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Add half of the masa and beat until well blended. Add the 3 tablespoons of the reserved chicken broth and the remaining masa and continue beating until a teaspoon of the dough dropped into a cup of cold water floats, about 10 minutes. If after 15 minutes of constant beating your dough does not float, move on (despite it not floating, the dough will be fine).
• Sprinkle the baking powder and the salt over the dough and mix in well.
• Assemble the tamales:
• Place a corn husk lengthwise in front of you with the wide side closest to you. Spread 2 tablespoons of the dough all over the bottom half (wide side) of the corn husk, leaving about a 1-inch-wide border on the left and right sides.
• Place 2 heaping tablespoons of the filling lengthwise down the center of the dough. Pick up the two long sides of the cornhusk and unite them. Allow the dough to surround the filling by pinching together the corn husk where the dough comes together. Roll both sides of the corn husks in the same direction over the tamal. Fold down the empty top section of the cornhusk and secure it by tying a thin strip of corn husk around the tamal (the top will be open).
• Repeat this process until all the corn husks or tamal dough are used up.
• Steam the tamales:
• Create a tamal steamer by crumpling a large piece of aluminum foil into a large ball. Place the foil ball in the center of a large saucepan and arrange the tamales "standing up" around it. You can stand tamales in front of each other; just make sure that the open end of the tamal is facing upward.
• Pour in 1/2 inch of water. Cover tightly with a lid and simmer for 40 minutes.
• Serve:
• Serve warm accompanied by Mexican crema.

CHICKEN TAMALES WITH TOMATILLO SALSA

Steps:

• Place tomatillos, onion, cilantro, garlic, ½ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon granules in a blender (this might take two batches, depending on blender capacity). Blend on high until smooth (if needed add 1 to 2 tablespoons water to ease blending).
• Heat the oil in a 3-qt container over medium high heat. Place the salsa in the container and cook until it turns a deeper green and reduces by ¼ (it should be thick).
• Mix the cooked shredded chicken with 1 1/4 cups salsa. Set aside the remaining salsa for serving once the tamales are cooked and ready to be served.
• Pull 1/4-inch strings from reserved husks to wrap the tamales (or use twine) and set aside. Cover the corn husks (including the pulled strings) with warm water and let stand until pliable (at least 30 minutes).
• Meanwhile, in a large bowl, mix 2 cups of the broth, masa, lard, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon chicken bouillon granules, and baking powder. Beat with an electric mixer until well combined, adding the remaining chicken broth as needed to make a soft dough (the dough should be moist, but not sticky). Drain the corn husks and pat dry with paper towels.
• Place 3 level tablespoons of dough on each corn husk. Slightly spread the dough out, making an indentation in the center with the back of a spoon. Place about 1 tablespoon of chicken tomatillo mix on the center of the dough and fold dough around filling (if corn husks are too small, overlap 2 husks).
• Fold the bottom one-third of the corn husk over the filling and fold the sides in towards the center. Tie the tops with corn husk strings (or twine). In a 10 to 12-quart tamales steamer, pour boiling water under the steamer insert, almost touching it (the water should not touch the tamales when they are added).
• Stand the tamales inside pot, leaning against the sides all around. Cover and reduce the heat to medium. Simmer gently for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes or until the tamale dough becomes firm. Add more water if needed during cooking time. Let stand uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes.
• Carefully unfold each tamale by removing the string and opening the husk. To serve, carefully open the tamales and top with the remaining warm tomatillo salsa and a dollop of sour cream.

CHICKEN ENCHILADAS WITH ROASTED TOMATILLO CHILE SALSA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• For the salsa:
• On a baking tray, roast tomatillos, onion, garlic and jalapenos for 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer the roasted vegetables and any juices on the bottom of the tray to a food processor. Add the cumin, salt, cilantro, and lime juice and pulse mixture until well combined but still chunky.
• For the enchiladas:
• Meanwhile heat a 2 count of olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft and caramelized - this should take 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic and cumin then cook for a further minute. Sprinkle on the flour and stir to ensure the flour doesn't burn then gradually add the chicken stock to make a veloute. Continue stirring over a low simmer until the flour cooks and the liquid thickens. Turn off the heat, add half of the roasted tomatillo chile salsa, some additional fresh chopped cilantro and fold in the shredded chicken meat. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.
• Change the temperature of the oven to 350 degrees F and begin assembling the dish. Take a large flameproof baking dish and smear the bottom with some of the reserved tomatillo salsa. Now take the flour tortillas and briefly flash them over the stove-top flame (or put them briefly under the broiler if using an electric stove). Using a shallow bowl, coat each tortilla lightly with the reserved salsa mix. Put a scoop of the shredded chicken-enchilada mix on top of the tortilla followed by a sprinkle of the shredded cheese. Fold the tortilla over the filling and roll like a cigar to enclose it. Using a spatula place the tortillas in the baking dish and continue to do the same with all the tortillas. Finally pour over some more of the salsa and top with the remaining shredded cheese. Bake uncovered for about 30 minutes until bubbly and cracked on top. Garnish, cilantro and tomato.
• Serve hot with Spicy Black Beans and Yellow Rice, the remaining tomatillo salsa, sour cream and fresh guacamole, if desired.
• In a large pot, soak beans overnight covered in water by 2 inches. Drain and set aside.
• In the same pot, heat the olive oil. Add the onion, jalapeno pepper, garlic, and bay leaf and cook until the vegetables begin to soften, about 5 minutes. Add the beans and cover with water by about 1-inch. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until the beans are tender. Remove the bay leaf and discard. Taste the beans and season with salt and pepper.
• Put all the ingredients into a heavy-bottomed pot, stir well, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook over low heat until the rice has absorbed the water, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and let sit, covered, for 5 minutes. Discard the garlic and bay leaf, fluff with a fork, and serve.

TAMALES WITH CHICKEN AND SALSA VERDE

Steps:

• Prepare cornhusks: Simmer the husks in water to cover for 10 minutes, weighting them with a plate to keep them submerged. Let them stand for a couple of hours until husks are pliable.
• To make the dough: Beat the lard in a mixer until very light, for about a minute. Add 1/2 pound (1 cup) fresh masa to lard. Beat until well blended. Continue beating, adding alternately the remaining 1/2 pound masa and the poultry broth, adding only enough broth to give consistency of medium-thick cake batter. Then sprinkle in the baking powder and salt. Beat 1 minute more.
• To make the salsa: Husk and wash the tomatillos. Put the tomatillos and 3 Serrano chiles and some salt in a pot of water and boil them until tender, about 10 to 15 minutes. Then drain them and put them in the bowl of a food processor. Add the coriander, onion, and garlic. Process until smooth. Heat 1 tablespoon lard in a medium large skillet over medium-high heat. When the lard is hot enough to make a drop of the tomatillo puree sizzle, pour it all in at once. Stir the sauce constantly for 4 to 5 minutes until it gets darker and thicker...thick enough to coat a spoon. Add the chopped tomatillos and cilantro. Season with salt. Mix the shredded chicken with 1/2 cup cooked tomatillo sauce.
• To form the tamales: Remove husks from water when they have softened. Pat husks dry. Tear extra husks into 1/4-inch wide, 7-inch long strips -- one for each tamale. Take one that is at least 6 inches across on wider end and 6 to 7 inches long. Lay out this cornhusk with tapering end toward you.
• Spread a couple of tablespoons of dough mixture into a square, leaving at least a 1 1/2-inch border on side toward you and 3/4-inch border along other sides. Pick up two long sides of cornhusk and bring them together, overlapping one over the other. Fold up the bottom section of husk tightly right up to the filling line. Leave top open. Secure it in place by loosely tying one of strips of husk around tamale. Repeat with remaining husks and dough mixture.
• Stand tamales on the folded bottom in prepared steamer, being sure they are not packed too closely in steamer -- they need to expand. Cover with layer of leftover husks. Cover with lid and steam for 1 hour. Check carefully that all the water doesn't boil away, adding boiling water when necessary. Serve with additional salsa on the side.
• Suggested drink: Mexican beer