This being the month of Christmas, a holiday celebrated among 160 of the 195 countries that make up this planet, I’ve decided to do a monthly installment of how different countries around the world celebrate this special holiday in their kitchens and feature their signature holiday meals. Some may be sides, some may be mains, maybe a dessert or two, some may be a complete dinner. Only time will tell by which country my girls have randomly pulled out of Santa’s hat.
Welcome back to my “Christmas In” series! This year, I have some interesting dishes from around the globe…assuming I can make all of them in time. Every year-end is always busy, but this year feels even busier, probably due to a specific work endeavor I am undertaking for my new position, which has seemingly consumed my life for the past 2.5 months. But, the end is nigh, and the fat man is coming to town (oh yeah, I need to start Christmas shopping too) and I have one meal in the bag.
So, without further ado, the first dish hails from Panama and was something I swore I would never make again! But, tamales are ubiquitous among Latin American Christmas feasts, so here I am. But seriously, this is the last time. It’s not that they aren’t tasty, they’re just messy and time consuming. What’s worse is the use of banana leaves. I found the freshest ones I’ve ever seen, and yet, they still are not the best wrapper as they fray, tear, and split at the seams. So, if you like making a mess and stressing during the folding, tying, and steaming, go for it. But, if you want another delicious Panamanian classic for dinner, I suggest making this amazing Sancocho!
Panamanian Chicken Tamales
Filling
3 tbsp vegetable oil
1 chicken, cut into 6 pieces, backbone and wings reserved for another use
White onion, minced
Green pepper, minced
2 celery stalks, minced
Large garlic clove, minced
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp cumin
½ cup golden raisins
¼ cup capers, drained
½ cup sliced green olives
15 oz can diced tomato
1 qt chicken stock
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
Dough
2.5 cups maseca
1 cup cold lard
2 tsp baking powder
1.5 tsp kosher salt
1 cup cold chicken stock
Other
Banana leaves, cut into 8-inch squares
Butcher twine
Pot with steamer basket
Heat the oil in a dutch oven, over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with kosher salt and black pepper. Brown the chicken, skin-side down, about 5 minutes then flip and cook for another 4 minutes. Remove the chicken to a plate.
Add in the onion, pepper, and celery, stirring with a pinch of salt and black pepper, and cook until softened, Then stir in the garlic, oregano, and cumin and cook until fragrant.
Add in the raisins, capers, olives, tomatoes and stock, along with the seared chicken and their juices. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 2 hours.
After 2 hours, remove the chicken from the pot and place on a cutting board and let it cool while the stock continues to reduce. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, remove and discard the skin and pull the meat from the bones. Shred the chicken into bite size pieces and discard the bones.
Add the chicken back into the pot and cook until the liquid has nearly evaporated. Then stir in the vinegar and continue cooking until all the moisture is gone. Remove from the heat and allow to cool while you prepare your dough.
In a medium bowl, stir the 1.75 cups of hot water into the maseca until combined. Reserve .
In a large bowl of a stand mixer, fitted with the paddle attachment, stir together the lard, baking powder, and salt, until combined. Then, increase the speed to medium and beat for 3 minutes on high speed. With the paddle still going, add in small handfuls of the reserved maseca. Then, pour in the chicken stock and increase the speed to high and continue to mix for 3 minutes.
Lay out a trimmed leaf square on a work surface with the banana leaf lines running horizontally. Place about ⅓ cup of the masa mix onto the leaf and spread thin, leaving a sizeable gap at the top. Place some chicken mixture on the bottom half of the masa mixture and roll up and tuck downward making the filling snug. Continue to roll all the way up, leaving the seam at the bottom and tuck the sides under. Secure with butcher twine and repeat until all of the dough is used.
Fill the bottom of the pot with water, ensuring the water doesn’t permeate the steamer basket. Place some banana leaf scraps along the bottom of the steamer basket and pile in the tamales. Bring the water to a boil and place the steamer basket into the pot and cover. Reduce the heat so that just little wisps of steam escape.
Steam for 80 minutes, adding in more water after 30 minute intervals. Then turn off the heat and let sit for 30 minutes. Remove the tamales from the basket, cut away the butcher string and place on serving plates. Sprinkle on some additional sliced olives and serve with your favorite sides.
______________________________ Copyright 2022, Brendan McCann, All Rights Reserved.
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