Chicken Tamales
By America's Test KitchenPublished on July 30, 2009
Yield
Serves 4 to 6 (Makes 12 tamales) as a light main course
Ingredients
Before You Begin
Be sure to use quick grits, not instant—instant grits are processed further and will adversely affect the texture and flavor of the tamales. You can substitute 1 cup fresh corn kernels (cut from about 1 1/2 cobs), for frozen, if desired. You can also substitute 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter for the lard if desired; the flavor, however, will have an untraditional, buttery flavor. For instructions on how to cook and shred chicken for the filling, see related recipe for Shredded Cooked Chicken. You can also substitute 1 cup shredded Shepherd-Style Spicy Pork (see related recipe) for the chicken.
Instructions
- Place the grits in a medium bowl, whisk in the boiling water, and let stand until most of the water is absorbed, about 10 minutes. Stir in the masa harina to form a dough, cover, and let cool to room temperature, about 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, bring 2 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot. Stir in the corn husks, cover, and simmer until softened and flexible, about 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.
- Process the masa dough, corn, butter, lard, sugar, baking powder, and salt together in a food processor until the mixture is light, sticky, and very smooth, about 1 minute, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- In a small bowl, toss together the cheese, pickled jalapeños, and chicken. Working with one husk at a time, spoon a scant 1/4 cup of the dough into the center of each husk, following the illustrations below. Nestle a heaping tablespoon of the cheese-jalapeño mixture into the center of the dough and, using the sides of the husk, push the dough around the cheese to encase it completely. Fold the sides then the bottom of the husk over the filling, and lay seam side down on a large platter.
- Fit a large Dutch oven with a steamer basket. Fill the pot with water until it just touches the bottom of the basket and bring to a boil. Following the illustration below, gently lay the tamales into the basket, seam side facing the edge of the steamer, with the open ends facing up. Cover and steam, checking the water level often and adding additional water as needed, until the tamales easily come free from the husks, about 1 hour. Transfer the tamales to a large platter and serve hot.
Yield
Serves 4 to 6 (Makes 12 tamales) as a light main courseIngredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Ingredients
Test Kitchen Techniques
Why This Recipe Works
In Mexico, tamales are often made by families for special occasions. For our tamales recipe, we turned to readily available masa harina, or flour made from masa that has been dried. We supplemented the masa harina with grits and added frozen corn kernels—together they added flavor and texture to the dough. Fat is a necessary ingredient in the dough, and while we tried many types, we preferred the traditional lard, along with some butter, for our tamales recipe. Baking powder, used in some recipes that we encountered, worked well to prevent the dough from cooking up with a hard, dense texture, and a food-processor mixing method also incorporated air into the dough for a somewhat lighter texture.
Before You Begin
Be sure to use quick grits, not instant—instant grits are processed further and will adversely affect the texture and flavor of the tamales. You can substitute 1 cup fresh corn kernels (cut from about 1 1/2 cobs), for frozen, if desired. You can also substitute 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter for the lard if desired; the flavor, however, will have an untraditional, buttery flavor. For instructions on how to cook and shred chicken for the filling, see related recipe for Shredded Cooked Chicken. You can also substitute 1 cup shredded Shepherd-Style Spicy Pork (see related recipe) for the chicken.
Instructions
- Place the grits in a medium bowl, whisk in the boiling water, and let stand until most of the water is absorbed, about 10 minutes. Stir in the masa harina to form a dough, cover, and let cool to room temperature, about 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, bring 2 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot. Stir in the corn husks, cover, and simmer until softened and flexible, about 10 minutes. Drain and set aside.
- Process the masa dough, corn, butter, lard, sugar, baking powder, and salt together in a food processor until the mixture is light, sticky, and very smooth, about 1 minute, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- In a small bowl, toss together the cheese, pickled jalapeños, and chicken. Working with one husk at a time, spoon a scant 1/4 cup of the dough into the center of each husk, following the illustrations below. Nestle a heaping tablespoon of the cheese-jalapeño mixture into the center of the dough and, using the sides of the husk, push the dough around the cheese to encase it completely. Fold the sides then the bottom of the husk over the filling, and lay seam side down on a large platter.
- Fit a large Dutch oven with a steamer basket. Fill the pot with water until it just touches the bottom of the basket and bring to a boil. Following the illustration below, gently lay the tamales into the basket, seam side facing the edge of the steamer, with the open ends facing up. Cover and steam, checking the water level often and adding additional water as needed, until the tamales easily come free from the husks, about 1 hour. Transfer the tamales to a large platter and serve hot.
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