Tamal De Olla Food

TAMAL DE OLLA-PANAMA

Steps:

• Marinate the chicken with salt, pepper and oregano for at least 1 hour. Heat the oil over medium low heat in a big pan and add the annato seeds if using them. Add onion, peppers and garlic. Turn the heat and add the chicken to brown whilst adding the wine and vinegar little by little.
• Add the tomato sauce puree, turn the heat down and let it simmer for about 1.5 hours with the hot chili pepper.Check the seasoning adding salt and pepper if needed and the capers and olives for the last 10 minutes.Take the chicken out, debone and skin it and put the meat back into the pan. Make the polenta according to package instructions, but using ¾ water and 1/4 chicken sauce . Put the tamal in a baking dish and bake for a further 20 minutes at gas mark 375º F.

TAMAL DE OLLA

Steps:

• Season chicken with salt and pepper (or use Goya seasoning).
• Brown chicken in oil.
• Add onion, parsley, and garlic and cook until softened.
• Take out chicken and chop into bite sized pieces and return to sauce.
• Add remainder of ingredients except masa, and cook 15 minutes over medium heat.
• Mix in masa, put in baking pan, and bake 30 minutes at 350.

BASIC TAMAL DOUGH

Steps:

• If using fresh masa, skip to next step. If using masa harina, place it in a large bowl and reconstitute by adding 4 cups warm stock. Beat with a wooden spoon or mix with your hands until you have a stiff, smooth dough like a medium-pliable bread dough. Use a little more stock if necessary, but mixture should not be loose.
• Beat lard in the large bowl of an electric mixer on medium speed until very fluffy and fully aerated, about 3 minutes. It may take longer if your mixer is not of the most powerful. (A heavy-duty machine such as a KitchenAid is best.) The best alternative to a mixer is not a spoon but your bare hand: Whip and beat the lard with a rapid folding motion until you feel it lightening and continue to whip until it is fluffy and full of air. It should be as light as butter creamed for the lightest butter cake.
• Keeping mixer on medium speed, begin adding masa or reconstituted masa harina to lard a handful at a time. Stop to scrape down sides of bowl with a rubber spatula as necessary. If mixture becomes too stiff to beat, add up to 1 cup tepid chicken stock a little at a time. Alternatively, beat in masa or reconstituted masa harina using your bare hand as a whipping and folding tool, adding up to 1 cup chicken stock as necessary. When all masa or reconstituted masa harina has been incorporated the mixture should be very light and delicate, the texture of buttercream frosting. Beat in salt.
• The mixture is now ready to be filled or spread onto corn husks, banana leaves, or other wrappers, and steamed.