Frida’s Favorite Tamale

Richard Lambert, owner of Richard Lambert Tamales in Santa Barbara, California and founder of National Tamale Day, compiled his favorite recipes from a year he spent living in Mexico City. This recipe for Friday Kahlo’s Favorite Tamale — a chicken picadillo tamale that Lambert says Kahlo and Diego Rivera typically served at their famous parties in Coyocán — is a great one to consider featuring during Hispanic Heritage Month that starts September 15.

Recipe and photo courtesy of Richard Lambert/Richard’s Mexico City Favorites: Recipes From My Year of Living in Mexico City

Makes 25-30 tamales

5 lbs. boneless chicken breast

2 green bell peppers, diced

3 medium russet potatoes, peeled, diced and parboiled

½ c. almond slivers, toasted

Corn kernels cut from 2 ears of corn

½ c. golden raisins

2 t. cinnamon

10-12 green olives, sliced

¾ c. carrot, diced

Salt to taste

4 lbs. prepared masa* 

3 - 4 c. chipotle salsa (recipe below)

30 sheets of tamale parchment paper and a masa spreader (both available from Amazon)

60 raffia ribbon ties, each cut to 8 inches in length

*You can make masa from scratch using masa harina. Maseca is the most popular brand, and is available in grocery stores. In the Santa Barbara area, I recommend using “masa preparada,” a ready-to-use tamale masa I purchase from La Tolteca.

    Place chicken in a large pot and braise in water for 50 minutes, or until cooked through. Remove chicken and let sit until cool enough to handle. Cube or shred meat and set aside.

    Place corn kernels, raisins, olives, carrot, almond slivers, diced green bell peppers, and potatoes with chicken in a large bowl. Add cinnamon and salt while mixing it all together. Pour ½ of the chipotle salsa over the filling and mix together. When blended, mix in the rest of the salsa.

      Position the masa, filling, wrappers and ribbon ties on a flat working surface. Spread about four tablespoons of masa onto a parchment paper sheet using a masa spreader. Keep the masa 1½-in. away from the right and left sides, and about 4 in. from the top (the longer side). Bring the masa all the way to the lower edge (the one closest to you).

    Place 3 - 4 tablespoons of filling on the masa near the edge closest to you. Carefully roll tamale (going away from you) and tie each end of wrapper with a ribbon tie (about 1inch in from each end). Place the tamales horizontally in a steamer (see note below) and gently steam for 1½  to 2 hours.

     The most important points to remember when steaming are that (1) your tamales remain positioned above the water, and that (2) your steamer does not run out of water. This will infuse a burnt taste in the tamales that you can’t get out.

     Test the doneness of the tamale by peeling back the wrapper a little to see if the masa is cooked through. When ready, it's best to let the masa firm up a bit by letting the tamales rest 10 minutes before serving. The tamales will remain warm for an hour or more out of the steamer.

The Chipotle Salsa

Makes 2 quarts

16 New Mexico chiles, dried

4 c. boiling water

2 t. Mexican oregano

2 t. coriander seeds

3 t. cumin seeds

5 medium white onions, peeled and quartered

8 medium garlic cloves, unpeeled

½ can (7 ounce can) chipotle peppers in adobo sauce

1 can (28 ounce) diced or crushed tomatoes

3 T. vegetable oil

3 c. chicken broth (or water, for vegetarian)

Salt to taste

     Wearing gloves, remove the stems and seeds from dried chiles, then toast on a comal for a few minutes, or until the chiles just begin to smoke. This technique brings out the natural flavors of the chiles. Be cautious not to toast the chiles too long, or they’ll turn bitter and become unusable.

    Bring 4 cups of water to a boil in a saucepan and place the chiles in the water. Cover and turn off the heat. Let the chiles steep in the water 10 to 15 minutes, or until they are soft and pliable.

     Cook onions and garlic on a comal, turning several times, until well charred. Peel garlic cloves and place with onions, canned tomatoes, and chipotles in a blender along with a cup of chicken broth or water (if making vegetarian salsa). Blend for 60 seconds, then set aside. The chipotles determine the heat of the salsa. For spicier salsa, add more. For a milder salsa, reduce the amount.

     Place dried chiles in a blender with 2 cups chicken broth or water. Purée chiles on high for 60 seconds, or until smooth. Using a colander with a spatula for mashing, strain the chiles into a bowl. You’ll end up with some paste-like residue left in the colander. Discard it. This straining process is important for removing small bits of chile skin that would make the salsa unpleasant to eat.

     Heat vegetable oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the cumin-coriander-oregano mixture and stir for a minute. Pour in the blended chile purée and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the onion-tomato-garlic mixture and continue cooking for 4 to 5 minutes. If needed, thin the salsa by adding some chicken broth or water. Season with salt at this point and do a taste test. If the salsa seems spicier than you expected, keep in mind that it will be milder in the finished dish when combined with other ingredients.

    Keep the salsa in the refrigerator. It will be good for up to five days.