Ingredients to make Chicken Tamales:
- 1 Hen or Large Chicken of 5 Lb.
- 1 lb. diced potatoes (uncooked)
- 4 ounces of chick peas, cooked and peeled
- 2 carrots diced (uncooked)
- 12 small tomatoes
- 7 cloves of garlic
- 1 small onion
- 1 green chili
- 4 celery sticks
- Branches of oregano, parsley and coriander
- 2 tablespoons of spices
- 1 tablespoon Chili Powder (paprika)
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 packets of Chicken Consommé
- 1 pound of lard
- 2 pounds of cornmeal
- Olives and Capers
- Salt to taste
- Water
- Plantain (banana) leaves
How to make Chicken Tamales:
In a pot, boil 1 hen or chicken in salted water, onion, 2 bay leaves, and 3 cloves of garlic, celery, green chili, oregano, mint and cilantro. Remove until soft. Bone the chicken. Add 1 1/2 cups of Gallina or chicken broth to the cornmeal to form a slightly thick dough. Add the butter and put it over medium heat until it boils, stirring constantly until the butter has been consumed. It should be a very smooth dough. Ketchup. Blend 12 tomatoes, 4 cloves of garlic, a small onion, the “relajo” spices, the chili powder (paprika), 2 tablespoons of chicken broth and 1 cup of chicken or chicken broth. Cook over low heat for 15 minutes. Divide the sauce into 2 parts, (A and B); part A is incorporated into the very soft corn dough already prepared. Expose the banana leaves to the sun for 20 minutes to soften them. Cutting them size (81/2 X 11 cm.) without veins. To form the tamale.
Place on 1 banana leaf, 2½ tablespoons of corn dough, placing it in the center, give it a circular shape and add in the center a little of the sauce (B) of cooked tomato, hen or chicken, 1 teaspoon of carrots, 1 teaspoon of potatoes, 4 capers, 2 olives, 4 chickpeas.
Join the two ends of the sheet by rolling and sealing the contents; press ends to center, folding to wrap, shaping tamale into pillow shape. To cook the tamales. At the bottom of a large pot, make a bed of banana leaves, place the tamales one on top of the other in a circular shape and add water until they are covered, letting it simmer for 45 minutes. Serve accompanied by a pickle of the following chopped ingredients: cabbage, carrot and onion, add oregano, salt, pepper, hot pepper (optional) and vinegar to taste.
