Okay, here’s my attempt at a blog post about making tamal de pollo, written in the style of a seasoned blogger sharing their personal experience:
Alright, folks, so I tackled tamales de pollo this weekend. Let me tell you, it’s a process. But oh-so-worth-it in the end. I’ve always been a bit intimidated by tamales, thinking they were super complicated. Turns out, they’re not that bad, just…time-consuming.
First, I gathered all my ingredients. This is key, people! You don’t want to be halfway through and realize you’re out of masa. I made a big list: chicken (obviously), hojas (corn husks), lard (yup, the good stuff), masa harina, chicken broth, baking powder, salt, and then all the stuff for the filling – onions, garlic, tomatoes, chiles, and some spices.
Soaking the Husks
The hojas need to soak, so I dumped them in a big bowl of hot water. I put a plate on top to keep them submerged. They need at least an hour, maybe two, to get nice and pliable.
Making the Chicken Filling
While the husks were soaking, I got to work on the chicken. I boiled a whole chicken with some onion, garlic, and salt until it was cooked through. Then, I shredded that bird like there was no tomorrow. My fingers were killing me by the end, but hey, that’s part of the fun, right?
Next, I sautéed some chopped onions and garlic in a little lard (again, with the lard!). Then I added the shredded chicken, some chopped tomatoes, a couple of blended chiles (I used guajillos for that nice smoky flavor), and a pinch of cumin and oregano. I let that simmer for a bit, just to let all the flavors meld together.
Making the Masa
I use Maseca for that.
Okay, masa time. This is where the magic happens. I whisked together the masa harina, baking powder, and salt in a big bowl. Then, I gradually added warm chicken broth, mixing with my hands until it formed a soft dough. It should be like playdough, not too sticky, not too dry. I used an electric beater on another bowl and whipped the lard to fluffy, then I added it to the dough.
Then comes the fun part (and the arm workout): kneading. I kneaded that dough for a good 10 minutes, until it was smooth and elastic. You can test it by taking a little ball of masa and dropping it in a glass of water. If it floats, you’re golden!
Assembling the Tamales
Now, the assembly line. I took a softened corn husk, spread a thin layer of masa on it, added a spoonful of the chicken filling, and then folded the whole thing up. There are different ways to fold them, but I just do the basic envelope fold. It’s the easiest, and it works.
Steaming the Tamales
Finally, steaming. I lined my steamer with some leftover corn husks, arranged the tamales inside (standing up, if possible), and added water to the bottom. I covered the pot and let them steam for about an hour and a half, maybe two. You know they’re done when the masa pulls away easily from the husk.
And there you have it! Tamales de pollo, made from scratch. It’s a labor of love, for sure, but when you bite into that warm, flavorful tamale, you’ll know it was all worth it. I served mine with a side of salsa, and man, were they good. My family devoured them!
