Tamales de Burria con Pollo

Ebannon

1 whole chicken

½ White onion

3 cloves garlic

5 Bay leaves

7 Dried Guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded

12 Dried chiles de árbol, stemmed and seeded

½ Cinnamon stick

½ Tsp Cumin seeds

½ tsp dried thyme

½ Tsp ground ginger

½ Tsp Dried marjoram

5 whole cloves

5 allspice berries

1 tbsp sesame seeds

3 c (24 oz) canned diced tomatoes and their juices

¼ C White vinegar

¼ C canola oil

1½ oz Mexican chocolate (preferably abuelita brand), chopped

Salt

6 c masa

2 c Manteca

1 tsp baking powder

1 tbsp Kosher salt

24 to 48 Corn husks

To prepare the chicken, place it in a large pot and add enough water to just cover it. Add the onion, garlic, and Bay leaves and bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and let cook, skimming the foam and fat off the top occasionally, until the meat is just cooked through, about 45 minutes. Remove the chicken (reserve the cooking liquid for another use if desired) and let cool slightly; finally shred the meat into small pieces. Set aside or refrigerate until ready to use.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Place all of the dried chilies in a medium heat proof bowl and cover with boiling water; let’s sit until the chilies are softened, about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, combine the cinnamon, cumin, thyme, ginger, marjoram, cloves, allspice, and sesame seeds on a baking sheet and bake until toasted, about 10 minutes.

Transfer the spices and the softened chilies (discard the soaking water) to a blender. Add the tomatoes and vinegar and blend until smooth. Pour the mixture into a large pot and bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer and let cook for 30 minutes.

When you’re ready to assemble the tamales, fry the salsa: in a large pot, heat the oil over high heat. Poor in the salsa quickly and all at once (be careful, as the oil may splatter) and bring to a boil; add the chocolate and season with salt. The mixture should be thin; if necessary, add some of the reserved chicken cooking liquid or water. The salsa can be prepared to this point up to 3 days in advance if then cool completely and refrigerated.

Combined the chicken with just enough salsa to cover and saturated. Reserve the remaining salsa for serving alongside the tamales.

To make the tamales, in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine the Mossa, large, baking powder, and salt; bit until well blended. (Alternatively, you can stir the ingredients by hand in a large bowl, but the mixer will make them as a lighter and airier.)

To assemble, soak the corn husks in very hot water until softened, about 20 minutes. Remove from water (no need to dry them off). Working with one at a time, Leah husk on a clean work surface with the curved side facing up and then narrower and facing you. (Some husks will be smaller than others Dash if necessary, use two small husks together, overlapping their long edges slightly.) Using a spoon or your hands and leaving a 1 ½ inch border clear along the wide, flat end of the husk, place a heaping quarter cup of Mossa in the center of the corn husk, then spread it to form a circle about 3 inches across. Add about ¼ cup of the chicken filling to the center of the Mossa, then fold the long edges of the corn husk over the filling to cover. Fold the pointy end of the husk over to form a packet (the opposite end of the tamal should remain open). Tamales can be filled up to two days in advance of steaming. You can also freeze them at this point; add an extra 15 minutes of steaming time if starting with frozen ones.

Transfer the tamales to a steamer, piling them as needed to fit, either horizontally or with their open and facing up. Steam until the Mossa has firmed, 60 to 90 minutes. (To test, open the husk: a toothpick inserted into the Mossa should come out mostly clean.)

To serve, open the tamales and spoons some of the extra salsa on top if desired.

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