Ingredients
- 1kg tortilla “masa” (nixtamalized corn dough)
- 250g lard
- 1 1/2 cup cold chicken broth
- 500g shredded chicken (1/2 onion, allspice berries, bay leaves)
- 2 tbsp dry tequesquite (mineral leavening agent) or 2 teaspoon baking soda
- 300g mole negro (or Oaxaca mole) paste
- Banana leaves
Instructions
Dough:
- In a clay pot, cream the lard until it “swells up” and is silky
- Incorporate the corn masa and the lard, working it so it is homogeneous
- Grind the cooked rice in a mortar or Metate until it becomes a manageable paste
- If needed, add chicken broth (spoonful by spoonful) until you have a very smooth and
- manageable dough that’s easy to lift from the pot
Chicken:
- Put the chicken in a pot, cover it with cold water and add 1/2 a small onion, 2 Mexican
- bay leaves and 2-3 allspice berries
- Let it boil in high heat for approximately 30 minutes
- Take out the chicken and shred it when it’s cold enough to handle.
- Let the broth cool down. Reserve.
Mole:
- In a saucepan, make the mole by slowly adding chicken broth to the mole paste on
- medium heat. Let the mix simmer until you can see the bottom of the pan when you move
- the spoon from side to side. Set aside and do not stir.
- Cut the banana leaves in 25×25 centimeter each and broil them in a pan with water for 5
- mins until they change color
Assembly:
- Add water to the steamer and put it on high heat
- Make a ball of dough a size that’s between a ping-pong and a tennis ball
- Flatten it on one of the banana leave squares until it’s approximately 1/4 in. thick
- Add a generous spoonful of mole on the dough and sprinkle it with shredded chicken
- Fold the banana leave as if you were going to make a roll, then fold the sides to give the
- tamale an oblong shape. Lay the tamales flat on a tray as you assemble them all
- When you’re done assembling, place a layer of banana leaves at the bottom of the
- steamer, place the tamales (flat) on top of the leaves, cover with some more banana
- leaves, then with a kitchen towel to prevent the steam from leaking. Close the steamer
- as tightly as possible.
- Cook on high for 40 minutes
Notes
Recipe provided by Altos Tequila and Casa Jacaranda