Chicken Tamales

Many hispanic families make Tamales during Christmas time.  They are a traditional Christmas food.  This recipe comes from the Mejia family.

• boil several chicken breasts.
• Mix maseca (corn flour), a little bit of salt and the chicken broth (from the previous step) to make a dough.  Add water if necessary.  Consistency of not quite runny oatmeal.  mix well with your hands.
• Make a salsa in the blender.  (chili (pepper), aqua (water), cebolla (onion), ajo (garlic))
• shred chicken with hands
• Put dough on corn husks, smooth out to have a thin layer over the bottom 2/3 of husk.  Don't put dough on the top part of the husk.
• Put chicken and salsa in the center of the layer of dough on the husks.
• Roll up.  Fold the part of the husk without dough up
• Put water in the bottom part of a double boiler.
• Put tamales on top with the open end facing up.
• Cover, and boil for 1 and a half hours.