Turn up the Heat

to take all the steps necessary to make these delicious creations, you might as well make a very large batch and freeze a portion or give some away as gifts. Get together with a friend or two and spend an afternoon in the kitchen rolling these phenomenal treats!
    Note: Maseca corn flour is readily available in Hispanic markets and even in some large grocery stores. The frozen banana leaves are also found in Hispanic markets and in some Asian stores. The dried chiles and pumpkin seeds can be found in most good markets or natural foods stores.

    Prepare the Night Before

    50 chicken thighs, skin removed, bone in Salt for seasoning
    10 cups of uncooked white rice

    Using a good, heavy knife, cut the chicken pieces in half, chopping through the bone. Season the chicken well with salt, and refrigerate until following day.
    Set the uncooked rice in a bowl or pot and cover with cold water. Let the rice soak in the water overnight. The rice will absorb most of the water, but do not drain any excess the next day.

    Sauce

    40 plum tomatoes
    15 red peppers, cut in half, stems and seeds removed
    7 onions, cut in half
    1 head of garlic, skin removed, cloves left whole or slightly crushed
    2 quarts water
    ⅓ cup salt
    4 guajillo chiles
    4 ancho chiles
    2 whole sticks cinnamon
    3 cups pumpkin seeds
    ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil

    Place tomatoes, red peppers, onions, garlic, water, and salt in a large pot and bring to a boil. Let cook over medium-high to high heat while you prepare the chiles, cinnamon sticks, and pumpkin seeds. Stir the sauce occasionally so it doesn’t burn.
    Cut all the chiles in half and remove the seeds and stems. Place chiles and cinnamon sticks in a nonstick pan and toast over high heat for about 2 minutes until they release their aroma. Do not burn these or your sauce will be bitter! Add to sauce.
    Toss pumpkin seeds into a nonstick skillet and stir over high heat until they begin popping and are gently browned.
    When the vegetables in the sauce have softened, stir in the pumpkin seeds, and then remove the pan from the heat. Ladle the sauce in batches into an electric blender and puree each batch until smooth. When all the sauce has been blended, strain through a mesh colander or sieve to remove any excess chunks and seeds. Return to the pot and add the olive oil. Bring to a boil once, and then set aside.

    Dough

    Rice that has been presoaked, with any remaining liquid
    1 bag (4.4 lbs.) Maseca corn flour
    ⅓ cup salt
    1 gallon whole or skim milk
    4 cups chicken broth
    1 bottle of extra virgin olive oil (25.4 ounces)

    Puree the soaked rice and any liquid that remains in a blender. Add water as needed to avoid clumping.
    In a large bowl, combine the rice puree, the Maseca, salt, milk, and chicken broth. Use your hands to mix these ingredients until they are well combined and the salt has dissolved. At this point, the mixture should be watery, but you may add some cold water if the dough is too clumpy. Add the entire bottle of olive oil and mix with a wooden spoon. Scrape the dough into a large pot and place over high heat. Cook the dough 5 to 10 minutes while stirring constantly. The dough will stick easily if you leave it unattended! The dough is done when it becomes spongy and difficult to stir.

    Banana Leaves

    100 (2 pkgs.) frozen banana leaves

    Boil a large pot of water and add banana leaves in batches. Cook for roughly 30 minutes until pliable. Drain and rinse with cold water. Cut the leaves into roughly 5" x 6" pieces.

    Tamale Assembly

    Per tamale:

    1 sheet of 12" x 12" aluminum foil
    1 sheet of softened banana leaf
    ¾ cup dough
    1 piece of raw chicken
    2 strips of red pepper
    1 Spanish green olive, pitted
    2 capers
    ⅔ cup red sauce

    Lay the aluminum foil sheet on a flat surface and then lay the banana leaf on the foil. Place the dough, centered, Vi of the way up from the short edge of the banana leaf. Top with the chicken piece, red pepper, olive, capers, and then the sauce. Roll the short edge of the banana leaf over the top and then fold in the sides. Now roll all the way down, keeping the banana leaf package nice and tight. Repeat with the aluminum foil wrapper. You may repeat with a second sheet of foil if necessary to make sure that the tamale is sealed and waterproof.
    Repeat the process until you have all of your tamale bundles wrapped. Pack as many tamales as you can fit into a deep Dutch oven, Le Creuset, or other heavy pot so the tamales fit together snugly. If you have extra