corn husk

These chicken tamales, drenched in tomatillo salsa, are a staple of the Christmas tamale season of Argelia Vergara, a Staten Island resident who makes them to celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. The recipe is labor-intensive, so enlist helpers in the kitchen to wrap the tamales in corn husks. The result is well worth the effort.

Tamales Verdes

dried corn husks,

jalapeño peppers

chicken broth

salt

garlic

onion, sliced

whole cumin seeds

lard

boneless, skinless cooked chicken breasts, shredded

Maseca tamale mix

lard, approximately 1 1/2 pounds, melted

baking powder

chicken broth.

For the filling, place husks in a large bowl. Add water to cover, and set aside to soften.

In a large saucepan, combine the tomatillos, jalapeño peppers and chicken broth. Bring to a boil, and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a blender, and add salt, garlic, onion and cumin. Blend until puréed. Return the mixture to the pot, and place over medium heat. Add the lard, cook for 5 to 7 minutes until fully melted, then remove from heat and set aside.

For the masa, combine the masa mix with the melted lard, baking powder, salt and chicken broth in a large bowl. Knead dough until soft, 10 to 20 minutes.

To finish and steam: Fill the bottom of a steamer with about 2 inches of water. Line the bottom of the insert with a layer of corn husks.

In a corn husk, place about a handful of masa. Spread with 3 tablespoons of the sauce and some shredded chicken. Fold in the sides of each husk, and fold the pointed side up, leaving one end open. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Stand the filled husks in the steamer with the open ends up.

Cover the tops with a layer of additional corn husks, and cover the pot tightly with foil and a lid. Steam until the tamales release easily from the husks, 45 minutes to 1 hour; add water to the bottom of the pan as necessary so it doesn’t run dry, and be careful not to overcook.

Tamales are a holiday staple for Mexican-American families from the Rio Grande Valley up to North Texas, and not just at Christmas. “We have a big market for Thanksgiving tamales,” said Cyndi Hall of Tamale Place of Texas, in Leander, near Austin.
 
Although Ms. Hall said she’s seen more families buy tamales than ever before, many still keep the tradition of coming together to make them. You can cook up a turkey breast or extra legs for tamales to have with the Thanksgiving meal, or make the tamales with leftover turkey for the long weekend.

They aren’t difficult, but they do take time, so the more hands you have for your assembly line, the quicker it goes. Corn husks and masa mix for tamales can be found in markets that sell Mexican ingredients; make sure you get the masa for tamales (Maseca is the most widely available brand), not the finer, drier tortilla masa harina.

Turkey Tamales

(8-ounce) bag dried corn husks

masa mix

Salt

chicken

tomatillos,

jalapeño or serrano chiles, stemmed (and seeded if desired)

garlic clove, peeled

cilantro sprigs, plus chopped cilantro for garnish

grapeseed or canola oil

chipotle chiles

turkey

Prepare the corn husks: Place in a large saucepan, cover with water and bring to a boil. Turn off heat and use a plate to submerge husks. Soak 1 hour.

Meanwhile, prepare the masa: In a medium bowl, mix masa with 11/4 cups hot water. Let cool.

Combine lard and baking powder in a stand mixer and beat for 1 minute, until light. Add salt and masa in 3 additions, beating at medium-low speed. Gradually add 3/4 cup broth while beating on low speed; beat for another minute or two. Taste for salt. Test to see if masa is aerated enough by dropping 1/2 teaspoon into a cup of water; it should float to the top. Batter should be soft but not runny, holding together on a spoon if you tilt the spoon. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. Beat masa again for a couple of minutes, adding remaining broth.

Meanwhile, make the filling: Place tomatillos in a saucepan, cover with water and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer 8 to 10 minutes, flipping them over halfway through, until softened and olive green. Drain and place in a blender. Add green chiles, onion, garlic and cilantro sprigs. Blend until smooth.

Heat oil in a large, heavy saucepan or skillet over medium-high heat. Add tomatillo purée and stir constantly until it thickens and begins to stick to pan, about 5 minutes. Stir in broth, add salt to taste and bring to a simmer; let simmer 10 to 15 minutes, stirring often. Stir in chipotles. Sauce should be creamy and coat the front and back of  a spoon. Taste and adjust seasoning. Remove from heat. Stir in shredded turkey.

Make the tamales: Select 16 corn husks; look for large ones that have no tears. Take a few more and tear into 16 1/4-inch-wide strips for tying tamales. Use some of the remaining husks to line a steamer that is at least 6 inches deep (or a pasta pot with an insert); reserve a few husks in case you need to double-wrap tamales. Add just enough water to the pot to miss hitting the bottom of the basket.

Lay a corn husk in front of you and pat dry. Spread a scant 1/4 cup of the masa into a 4-inch square, leaving a 1 1/2-inch border at pointy tapered end of the husk and a roughly 3/4-inch border on the other sides. Spoon a heaped tablespoon of turkey mixture down the middle of the masa. Pull long edges of husk toward each other and join them so that batter is now wrapped around the filling. Fold the two pinched-together edges over in the same direction and wrap the tamale. If it does not seem well wrapped, wrap in a second husk. Fold pointy end up to enclose the bottom and tie with a strip of husk. The wide top end will be open. Stand tamale up, closed end down, in steamer. Repeat with remaining masa and filling. The tamales should be crowded into the steamer so they remain upright. If they don’t, fill spaces with crinkled foil. If tops stick out from top of steamer, trim with scissors.

Lay unused soaked husks over open tops of tamales. Bring water to a boil, cover pot, reduce heat to medium and steam tamales for 11/2 hours. Meanwhile, bring a kettle of water to a boil to replenish water in bottom of the pot, should it run out (check periodically). Tamales are done when husk comes away easily from the masa; when done, let them sit at least 15 minutes in the pot, uncovered, to firm up. Serve hot.

Guadalupe Moreno’s <a href="https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1021734-tinga-de-pollo-chicken-with-chipotle-and-onions">tinga de pollo</a> makes for a delicious filling in this tamales formula from Alicia Villanueva of Alicia’s Tamales Los Mayas in Hayward, Calif. Ms. Villanueva shared her recipe with Leticia Landa and Caleb Zigas for their cookbook “We Are La Cocina.” Her tamales are made with corn masa flour that’s softened and flavored at the same time with both fat and broth. The recipe is a project, but once you’ve done the work of preparing the husks, filling and masa, the process of filling and wrapping the tamales goes quickly.

Tamales de Pollo (Chipotle Chicken Tamales)

corn husks (from about 8 ounces)

harina de maíz nixtamalizado (such as Maseca)

lard oil

Tinga de Pollo

Place the corn husks in a large bowl and add enough warm water to cover. Weigh down with a plate if needed and soak until softened, at least 1 hour and up to 3 hours.

Meanwhile, whisk the harina de maíz nixtamalizado, salt and baking powder in a large bowl. Add the lard and rub into the dry ingredients with your fingers until thoroughly incorporated and the mixture is sandy. Add 2 1/2 cups broth, 1/2 cup at a time, and mix and knead in each addition with your hands until fully incorporated before adding the next. The dough should be soft and tacky but not sticky. If needed, continue adding broth 1/4 cup at a time, kneading well after each addition.

To assemble a tamal, remove a husk from the water and pat dry. Use your fingers or a palette knife to spread a handful of masa (about 1/4 cup) in the center of the husk, covering about two-thirds of the husk with masa about 1/4-inch thick. Leave at least 3 inches clear at the pointed end and at least an inch on the other sides. Put 1 heaping spoonful of the chicken tinga filling lengthwise down the center of the masa. Wrap by bringing the right side of the dough over the filling and folding in half. Continue rolling tightly to the long end of the husk, then fold the pointed bottom end over the tamal towards the open top. Set aside folded ends down. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.

Prepare a large steamer by setting a steamer insert or rack above gently boiling water. Stack the tamales flat seam side down on the insert, leaving an empty space in the center. Cover with remaining husks, then the lid. Steam, replenishing the water as needed, until the tamales are firm and the masa comes away easily from the husk, about 45 to 55 minutes. Remove from the heat and keep warm in the steamer until ready to serve. Steamed and cooled tamales can be wrapped individually and frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and steam until heated through to serve.

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