Tomatillo Chicken Tamale with Roasted Corn Salsa
(Make with approximately 5 lbs. of your own masa recipe)
Recipe courtesy of Casa de Tamales
Makes approximately 24 tamales
The Tomatillo Sauce:
4 lbs. tomatillos
2 T. salt
4 cloves of fresh, peeled garlic
2 T. corn oil
1 med. size yellow onion, peeled and rough chopped
Half a bunch of fresh cilantro, washed and rough chopped
2 gal. water
In a large stock pot, bring water to a boil and add tomatillos. Turn down heat to medium, cover and ensure all tomatillos are sub- merged. allow to simmer just enough until tomatillos are soft, add garlic and salt. Be care- ful to not over cook them. Drain water, reserve approximately 1 quart of the tomatillo water. set aside.
In a sauté pan, heat oil and add garlic and onions, until onions are translucent. add to the stock pot of your tomatillos, add fresh cilantro and approximately 1 cup of water. With a handheld blender, puree until smooth. use more reserved tomatillo water if necessary. The thickness should coat the back of the spoon. allow to completely cool.
The Chicken Filling:
4 lbs. of raw chicken. Your choice of white, dark or combination, no bones.
1 T. salt
3 gal. water
In a large stock pot, add water, chicken and salt. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 30 minutes, until chicken is fully cooked. strain, allow to cool enough to hand shred the chicken to bite size pieces. Do not over shred, chunks hold up nicer inside the tamale. Cool completely.
In a mixing bowl, combine chicken with 4 cups of cold tomatillo sauce. The mixture should be very saucy.
The Roasted Corn Salsa:
8 ears of corn on the cob, peeled
1 c. diced red onion
1⁄4 c. chopped cilantro
1 t. salt
2 T. chipotle pureed
1⁄4 c. fresh lime juice
Peel husks off corn, clean off corn silk thoroughly. Begin grilling. Rotate corn until roasted on all sides. Cool completely.
Remove kernels from the cob, add to a mixing bowl with the remaining ingredients. Keep refrigerated until serving.
To assemble the tamales: You will need approximately 5 lbs. of masa. soak corn husks for minimum 2 hours, so they are pliable. spread approximately 2.25 oz. of masa on corn husks in a rectangular space that is approximately 5” x 4”. add approximately 2.25 oz of chicken filling, fold corn husks end to end. Place all carefully in a steamer pot, with water on the bottom. Turn on heat to medium, cover steamer and cook for 2 hours or until masa pulls cleanly off the husks. Warm the remainder of the tomatillo sauce. serve atop the chicken tamales, with roasted corn salsa on the side.