Tamales are a favorite holiday dish in Guatemala, so we decided to make our own. Making them is a fun way for the family to cook together as there are tasks that can be done by several people.KELLEY: I’ve made Mexican-style tamales before where the corn-based masa is steamed inside a corn husk, but I wanted to try making a Guatemalan version. I was given some as a Christmas treat by a co-worker a couple of years ago, and they were somewhat different than the Mexican version. Still delicious. Instead of a corn-husk wrapping, these are wrapped in banana leaves, and the masa is cooked before steaming.
BARRY: Kelley mentioned several times that she would need a lot of help to make this dish. I just assumed she wanted me in the kitchen for the entertainment I bring to the table, so to speak. No, she meant work. These were a lot of fun to make, but they do require more than one person because of the stirring of the masa and the prep involved in getting the leaves ready.
KELLEY: We found all of the ingredients at the Latin market on Main Street. They even had the banana leaves.
BARRY: They are 5 and 6 feet long and come in a package that looks like you are buying a good-size tarp.
KELLEY: I did some research and found a holiday version of the Guatemalan tamale that includes chicken, olives, red peppers and dried raisins. It also called for some sweet chocolate, which I also bought at the market. I don’t cook a lot of sweets, and this chocolate was very sweet, so I wasn’t sure how it would turn out, but it was quite good.
I made the sauce the night before in the slow cooker and pureed it the next morning.
BARRY: That’s when the work began. While she cut up the olives and peppers, I cut the leaves into 8-inch by 12-inch pieces and removed the stems. She then started making the masa. While I stirred it for about 20 minutes, she put the leaves into boiling water for about 45 seconds each.
KELLEY: I can see where this becomes a holiday adventure for the family. Making the tamales was a simple matter of spooning some masa onto a leaf, adding two or three pepper slices, some olives and raisins and pouring over some of the sauce and folding everything up. We also wrapped some in aluminum foil if the leaves were torn or damaged and because we wanted to freeze some for later.
BARRY: We got 27 tamales and could have had more had we been more consistent with the masa portions. By “we” I really mean me.
KELLEY: This type of Guatemalan tamales is traditionally made during the holidays. I used turkey broth from Thanksgiving leftovers and could have used turkey instead of chicken.
Contact Barry Courter at bcourter@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6354.
The recipe
Chicken/Sauce 2 large bone-in chicken thighs/drumsticks (remove skin and place in slow cooker) 1/2 large onion, sliced 2 dried guajillo peppers 2 dried ancho peppers 4 large tomatillos with skin removed and halved 14 assorted red tomatoes 1 cinnamon stick 4 bay leaves Place onion slices, all dried peppers, tomatillos and tomatoes on cookie sheet, and roast in oven for 10-15 minutes at 400 degrees. In a skillet, dry-roast the following three items until fragrant: 1 cinnamon stick 1 ounce pumpkin seeds 1/2 ounce sesame seeds Add the above ingredients to the slow cooker along with: 5 bay leaves 8 sprigs fresh thyme 1 tablespoon chopped garlic 1 tablespoon anchiote paste 2 squares Mexican chocolate 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup strong black coffee and enough water to barely cover all ingredients Place everything in slow cooker, cover and cook on high for 4 to 5 hours. Once done, remove chicken, debone and set aside. Remove cinnamon stick and toss. After sauce has cooled, run it through food processor. Strain mixture through a fine sieve. You will have some seeds, which should be tossed. Set aside. Masa 3 cups white corn masa 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth 1 tablespoon salt 1/2 cup lard In large pot, stir masa into broth until boiling, then lower heat and stir with whisk until thickened, about 10 minutes. Continue to cook and stir, adding salt and lard. Switch to a flat wooden spoon, and continue stirring for another 10 minutes until it looks like thick grits. Cover and set aside. The Extras 1 red pepper, sliced into thin strips 1/2 7 ounce chopped green olives 3-4 ounces currants or raisins Place these on an accessible work surface. The Leaves Cut into 8-inch by 12-inch rectangles. Place each into boiling water for 45 seconds, remove and stack on a towel. Keep covered with moist towel. The Tamales Place one leaf with ridge side up on flat surface. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of masa, and gently spread out on the leaf. Add about 2 tablespoons of chopped chicken, 2 slices of peppers, a few olives and currants and black pepper to taste, and pour over about 2 tablespoons of sauce. Fold over the leaf from top and bottom and then each side to create a package. Place finished package into a steamer basket, seam side down. Some might tear, so wrap those in aluminum foil. Cover and let steam for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Add water to pot as needed throughout. Let cool and serve. Uneaten tamales can be frozen and reheated in the microwave.