Turkey Mole Tamales

Directions Print

1. Defrost turkey legs. Peel meat off the bone, set the bones aside, and discard the skin.
2. Dice 1 yellow onion. Chop 1 ounce of fresh garlic. Sweat the onions in a sauce pot with the garlic. Add 1 ounce of chicken base and whisk in 2 quarts of water.
3. Place the turkey leg bones on a half sheet pan. Roast for 25 minutes at 300°F. Add the bones to the pot with the chicken base/onion mixture to create a stock. On low heat, let the stock simmer for 1 hour. Strain stock with a fine chinois.
4. In a sauce pan, add 1 cup of mole paste and slowly whisk in 3 ½ cups of your turkey stock. Let simmer on a low heat until it's a thick consistency. Reserve.
5. Shred the turkey meat into thick pieces. Put turkey meat in a bowl, and add 1 cup of mole. Mix well, and set aside.
6. In a bowl, mix 2 cups of masa mix, ½ teaspoon salt, 2 cups turkey stock, and 2 tablespoons mole mix together until completely incorporated. Consistency should be paste-like. Set aside.
7. Put 12 corn husks in a bowl and pour hot boiling water on top of the husks and let soak for 15 minutes, then drain. Pat the husks dry and set aside.
8. Open the corn husk and spread approximately ¼ cup of the masa evenly in the middle of the corn husk. Leave about 3 inches of space on the narrow side of the husk, and a ½ inch of space on the longer flat end of the husk for cooking. Put 2 ounces of turkey mix in the middle of the corn husk, and roll the tamale so that the mixture is not exposed. Fold the narrow end and set aside.
9. Using a tamale steamer, fill the bottom of the pot with water just under the tamale rack. Place your tamales in the pot, folded part down. Spread out evenly so that they have room to steam. Put the flame on a low/medium heat and cover. Let them cook for 2 hours, or until masa is completely cooked. When they are finished pull them out with tongs and serve!