Chicken Tamales With Adobo Sauce Recipes

CHICKEN TAMALES WITH ADOBO SAUCE

Steps:

• Pull 1/4-inch strings from reserved husks to wrap tamales or use twine; set aside. Cover corn husks (including pulled strings) with warm water and let stand until pliable, at least 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in large bowl, combine all tamale dough ingredients, starting with 6 cups broth. Beat with electric mixer until well combined, adding chicken broth as needed to make soft dough.
• In blender, place all filling ingredients except oil and chicken. Cover; blend until smooth.
• In 3-quart saucepan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Stir in tomato mixture. Cook about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until hot. Stir in chicken; cook over medium-low heat about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until mixture thickens. Drain sauce from filling; reserve to serve over tamales, if desired.
• Drain corn husks; pat dry with paper towels. Place 3 level tablespoonfuls of dough on each corn husk; slightly spread out making indentation in center with back of spoon. Place about 1 tablespoon filling on center of dough and fold dough around filling. If husks are too small, overlap two corn husks. Fold bottom 1/3 of corn husk over filling; fold sides in towards center. Tie tops with corn husk strings.
• In two 5-quart stockpots or Dutch ovens, place round cooling racks. Pour boiling water almost to top of rack. (Water should not touch tamales.) Place tamales on rack. Stand tamales inside pots, leaning against sides all around. Cover; reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer gently about 60 minutes or until tamale dough becomes firm. Add water if needed. Let stand uncovered 20 minutes.
• Carefully unfold each tamale by removing string and opening husk. Spoon reserved sauce over each tamale, if desired.

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.