Chicken Tamales with Roasted Tomatillo Sauce

This is the ultimate mexican tamale recipe. The masa and the filling are full of flavor. You can make it with beef, pork, chicken, or even shrimp.

Ingredients:
Tomatillo Sauce:
1 ½ pound tomatillos, husked
2 white onions, peeled and quartered
6 garlic cloves
4 Anaheim green chilies, stems removed
2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cilantro

Filling:
2 pounds chicken breasts
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon coriander
Salt and pepper, to taste
3 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 cups prepared masa
1 bag dried cornhusks, cleaned

Preparation:
Place tomatillos, onion, garlic, and green chilies in a roasting pan and bake in a preheated 400 degree F oven for 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer the roasted vegetables to a food processor along with any juices that are at the bottom of the pan. Add the cumin, salt, and cilantro. Pulse the mixture until combined but still chunky. You may add a bit of water or broth if the mixture is too thick. Reserve one cup of the sauce to serve with the tamales.
Heat vegetable oil in a deep pot and brown the chicken breasts, about 4 minutes per side. Cover the chicken with water. Let it simmer for an hour. Lift chicken from broth and shred with a fork.
Season the chicken with cumin, chili powder, cayenne, coriander, salt, and pepper and fold in one cup of the tomatillo sauce.
In a deep bowl, combine the masa and the remainder of the tomatillo sauce. Beat until fully incorporated and the dough turns green.
Immerse the cornhusks in a pot filled with boiling water until softened, then remove and place on a sheet pan covered by a damp towel. Lay the husk flat on a plate with the smooth side up and the narrow end facing you. Spread a thin, even layer of the masa mixture over the surface of the husk with a tablespoon that is dipped in water.
Spread two tablespoons of the chicken filling in the middle of the masa, leaving some room around the edges for the tamale to seal.
Fold tamales like a burrito and tie with a kitchen twine, or a long strip of corn husk, sealing the chicken filling inside the masa.
Stand the tamales up in a large steamer. Load the steamer into a large pot filled with 2-inches of water. The water should not touch the tamales. Lay a damp cloth over the tamales and cover with lid. Keep the water at a low boil, checking periodically to make sure the water doesn't boil away. Steam the tamales for 30 minutes.
To serve, unfold the tamales, and spoon the reserved tomatillo sauce over the top.

Makes two dozen.