Recipe courtesy of Joseph's Culinary Pub
Fried Organic Chicken Tamales with Red Chile and Cotija
- Level: Advanced
- Yield: 12 servings
-
- Nutritional Analysis
- Per Serving
- Serving Size
- 1 of 12 servings
- Calories
- 1669
- Total Fat
- 106
- Saturated Fat
- 32
- Carbohydrates
- 150
- Dietary Fiber
- 42
- Sugar
- 49
- Protein
- 49
- Cholesterol
- 228
- Sodium
- 1181
- Total: 6 hr 30 min (includes cooling time)
- Active: 2 hr 20 min
Ingredients
Chicken:
6 whole chicken legs (drumstick and thigh connected)
Salt and pepper
Masa:
2 pounds masa
1 pound duck fat, melted
Salt and pepper
Chile Verde:
12 tomatillos
10 cloves garlic
4 jalapenos
1 bunch fresh cilantro
1 onion, quartered
3 tablespoons ground coriander
3 tablespoons ground cumin
Salt and pepper
Fried Chicken Tamale:
Red Chile Sauce, recipe follows
Duck fat, for frying
Cotija, finely grated
Red Chile Sauce:
3 pounds dried red chiles
10 garlic cloves
1 onion, quartered
3 tablespoons ground coriander
3 tablespoons ground cumin
Salt and pepper
Directions
Special equipment:
8 to 12 corn husks, soaked overnight in water; a steam pot or hotel pan with perforated insert; a deep-fryer- For the chicken: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Place chicken on a half-sheet tray. Sprinkle all over with salt and pepper, then place skin-side up. Roast until cooked through, about 40 minutes. Let cool. Pull off skin and remove meat from bone. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- For the masa: Put masa in a bowl and add duck fat, plus a fat pinch each of salt and pepper. Mix until integrated. Add 1/2 cup water to help make a smooth, pliable mass, which will be easy to spread. Set aside.
- For the chile verde: Place tomatillos, garlic, cilantro, onion, coriander, cumin, salt and pepper in a medium saucepot and add enough water to cover. Place pot over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer and cook until tomatillos are soft and color deepens, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool. Pull ingredients from water and place in a blender. (Some liquid is fine.) Blend until smooth and season to taste.
- Return chile verde to the same saucepan and add the pulled chicken. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
- For the fried chicken tamale: Place a corn husk in the palm of your hand. It should just cover your hand; trim down if necessary so not overly large. Place a wooden kitchen spoonful of masa (approximately 6 tablespoons) in center of husk. Smooth masa to the edges of the husk using back of spoon. Place 4 tablespoons chicken chile verde mixture in middle of masa. Put tamale on a counter and fold in both long sides, then tuck in bottom and top of husk to form a neat package. Repeat with remaining ingredients.
- Using a steam pot or hotel pan with perforated insert, fill pot with water to bottom of perforated insert. Place a layer of tamales in the insert, being careful not to crowd or stack them. Cover pot with a lid or aluminum foil. Allow the pan to steam over medium-high heat and cook tamales for about 35 minutes. Let tamales cool.
- Warm Red Chile Sauce in a saucepan over medium heat.
- Preheat duck fat in a deep-fryer to 350 degrees F.
- Remove husk from a tamale. Place in fryer basket and cook until exterior of tamale is crispy, about 3 minutes. Smear 1 ounce Red Chile Sauce on bottom of a plate. Place tamale in center and garnish with Cotija. Serve hot. Repeat with remaining tamales.
Red Chile Sauce:
- Remove stems from chile pods and shake out seeds. Place chiles in a medium saucepan along with garlic, onion, coriander, cumin, salt and pepper and add enough water to cover. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then lower to a simmer and cook for 25 minutes. Strain and discard excess water to help remove bitterness. Place remaining contents in a blender and puree until smooth.