COOKING TAMALES RECIPES

Steps:

• Cover corn husks with cold water; soak until softened, at least 2 hours., Place chicken, onion, salt and garlic in a 6-qt. stockpot. Pour in 3 qt. water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, until chicken is tender, 45-60 minutes. Remove chicken from broth. When cool enough to handle, remove bones and skin; discard. Shred chicken. Strain cooking juices; skim fat. Reserve 6 cups stock., For dough, beat shortening until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Beat in small amounts of masa harina alternately with small amounts of reserved stock, using no more than 2 cups stock. Drop a small amount of dough into a cup of cold water; dough should float. If not, continue beating, rechecking every 1-2 minutes., For filling, heat oil in a Dutch oven; stir in flour until blended. Cook and stir over medium heat until lightly browned, 7-9 minutes. Stir in seasonings, chicken and remaining stock; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 45 minutes., Drain corn husks and pat dry; tear 4 husks to make 20 strips for tying tamales. (To prevent husks from drying out, cover with a damp towel until ready to use.) On wide end of each remaining husk, spread 3 tablespoons dough to within 1/2 in. of side edges; top each with 2 tablespoons chicken filling and 2 teaspoons olives. Fold long sides of husk over filling, overlapping slightly. Fold over narrow end of husk; tie with a strip of husk to secure., Place a large steamer basket in the stockpot over water; place tamales upright in steamer. Bring to a boil; steam, covered, adding hot water as needed, until dough peels away from husk, about 45 minutes.

Steps:

• In a large bowl, mix the flour, oil and salt with 3/4 cup lukewarm water. Knead directly in the bowl until smooth, about 5 minutes. If the dough starts to feel dry, add more water as needed, 1/2 tablespoon at a time. Divide the dough into 12 even balls, placing each ball back in the bowl. Cover the bowl loosely with plastic wrap. Let rest in a warm place for at least 30 minutes or up to 1 hour. The dough should be soft and spongy.
• Lightly dust your work surface with flour and pat a ball into a thick disk. Use a rolling pin to evenly roll it into a thin, 5-inch-wide disk, flipping and flouring as needed.
• Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high. Put the disk in the hot pan. When bubbles start to form and the roti starts to turn white, about 30 seconds, flip it over to cook the other side. It should be puffy in places and freckled brown. If you want to fully puff the roti, use tongs to gently place it directly on a low gas flame for about 2 to 3 seconds, then quickly remove it. Use the back of a spoon to lightly coat one side of the roti with ghee, if you like, or leave plain, then tuck into a clean dishcloth to keep warm. Repeat with the remaining dough.