Directions

Prepare the Chicken and Broth

1. Place chicken, garlic, onions, bay or avocado leaf, and salt in a stockpot, and fill with enough water to just cover the chicken. Bring water to a boil and then turn down to a gentle simmer. Skim the foam from the poaching liquid and discard.

2. Let the chicken simmer, uncovered, for about 20 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°. Remove the chicken and set on a rack to cool.

3. Let the liquid simmer for another 30 minutes and allow to cool. Once chicken is cool, break it up with your hands into chunky pieces (not thin shreds) and set aside. Strain the poaching liquid and reserve to thin chile rojo.

Make the Chile Rojo

1. Deseed chiles and toast them low and slow on a comal until darkened, adding the árbol chiles at the last minute. (They will toast more quickly because of their size.)

2. Add toasted chiles to a pot of water and bring to a boil. Once the water boils, turn the heat off and let the chiles rest in the hot water for 20 minutes or until softened. Allow to cool, then remove chiles from water (reserving the water) and place in a blender.

3. Toast cumin and coriander seeds over medium heat for 5 minutes or until fragrant and add to the blender along with peeled garlic. Blend until smooth, adding enough chile soaking liquid as needed (up to 2 cups) until the chile rojo evenly coats the back of a spoon.

4. Pass the chile rojo through a sieve and add enough of the reserved chicken poaching liquid to make 4 cups of sauce. (Save whatever chicken poaching liquid remains to make the masa.) Add the shredded chicken to the chile rojo and mix thoroughly.

Make the Masa

1. Peel the squash, then cut in half and remove seeds. With the inside of the squash facing down, cut into 3-inch wedges.

2. Steam squash by filling a medium pot with about 1 inch of water. Bring water to a boil, and then turn down to a simmer. Place squash inside the pot, cover for about 15 minutes or until fork tender.

3. Allow squash to cool, then place squash into a food processor and puree until smooth. Set aside.

4. Soak corn husks in hot water for at least 10 minutes while you make the masa.

5. Using a stand mixer with the whisk attachment or a hand mixer, whip lard on high until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes or until it’s the texture of cake frosting. Then add baking powder.

6. Alternate between adding 4 cups of masa harina and 4 cups of squash puree, one cup at a time, mixing on medium until a soft dough forms.

7. With the stand mixer on, slowly add up to 2 cups of poaching liquid to masa (no additional broth or water is needed) until it has the texture of a firm hummus. The masa will feel more hydrated than usual for tamales but will set during the steaming process. Add more masa harina to thicken if necessary.

8. Taste, adding additional salt if needed, and incorporate well.

Fill and Fold the Tamales

1. Gently wring out your corn husks and pat them dry with a dishtowel.

2. Arrange husk so the wide end is closest to you and the smooth side is facing up. Using a spoon, spatula, or bench scraper, spread a thin, even layer of masa (about 4 tablespoons) from side to side, leaving the narrow end uncovered. You’re looking to cover an area about 3 by 5 inches. Add 1-2 tablespoons of chicken in chile rojo to the center of the masa.

3. Fold one side of the corn husk in, and then the other. Fold the bottom towards the top. You may choose to tie a strip of corn husk around the fold to ensure it stays intact.

Cook the Tamales

1. Fill the bottom of a tamal steamer (or pot with steamer basket) with water. Place your tamales upright in the insert/basket and cover. Steam for 75-90 minutes at medium-high heat. Check for doneness by seeing if the husk pulls away from the masa easily. If so, they’re ready! Typically, the more tamales in the pot, the longer the cooking time. Remove tamales from heat and let them rest, covered, for at least 15 minutes. Tamales will firm as they cool.