Tamales

For the sauce:

1. Pull the stems off and then slit open the chilies with scissors to easily remove the seeds by hand.

2. Place the chilies into a pot and cover with water. Cook them for about 20 – 30 minutes.

3. Place the following in a blender: part of the water from the pot, chilies, salt, raw onions and garlic. Select mix first and then eventually puree.

4. Add the sauce a little at a time to the shredded chicken so that you are coating each piece of meat but NOT too much so that it looks soggy.

To assemble the tamales:

1. Lay a husk on a flat surface. Place 1-2 tablespoons of masa onto the husk. When spreading the masa, leave a space of about 4 inches from the narrow end of the husk and about 2 inches from the other end. Spread the masa to the edge of one of the long sides and 2 inches away from the other long side. Try to keep the dough approximately ¼ to a ½ inch thick.

2. Spread about a tablespoon of filling down the center of the masa.

3. Locate the long side with a 2 inch space with no masa. Fold that over, slightly overlapping the other side so the edges of the masa meet. Wrap the extra husk around the back.

To steam:

You can buy large steamers made just for this purpose. You may have something else you can use to create the same effect. The key is to have a small amount of boiling water on the bottom of the pot and a colander or mesh of some sort to keep the tamales away from the water.

Serve with Spanish rice and black or pinto beans (also in this book) on the side.