This is my second dish which are Chicken Tamales. As I explained in my previous post, I am making it as a part of my Food & Nutrition NEA coursework, which I chose to base around the traditional Mexican celebration 'The Day of the Dead.' In this dish there is a filling of chicken, tomato, onion and spicy pepper. The mixture is cooked and used as a filling in a case of 'masa dough’ - a mixture of Masa Harina (like the empanada), pork lard and chicken stock. I was unaware of this type of dough until I had to make this dish and I was a bit unsure of how they would taste but they are actually really nice! It is a raw dough wrapped around the mixture and then steamed, wrapped in a dried corn husk. It firms up to form a soft texture and compliments the chicken mixture very well taking a lot of the spice out of the dish. Tamales are normally made in large batches for Mexican celebrations - it must take them ages!
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