Easy Chicken Salsa Tamales

You will need: Corn dried corn husks, prepared masa, shredded chicken, your choice of salsa and a tamale steamer or double boiler.

Servings: About 3 dozen tamales.

Dried corn husks

Prepared masa (see note)

Shredded chicken

Your choice of favorite salsa

Note about the masa: Buy prepared masa from your favorite local carniceria. By “prepared,” we mean corn flour already mixed with oil or lard, salt and baking soda. Usually, they are sold in 5-pound portions, which makes about three dozen tamales. Add about one quart of water or chicken stock to the prepared masa. Pour it in slowly, a bit at a time. You want your masa to have a smooth and workable consistently. It should be easily spreadable.

To prepare the filling: Mix already-cooked shredded chicken with your favorite salsa or sauce. Green, red, chipotle or spicy habañero work well.

To assemble the tamale: Using a spoon, spread masa onto the corn husk. The masa should be about a halfinch thick. Once the masa is spread on the husk, add the chicken and salsa mix into the middle of the tamale. Wrap it up like a present, then place the wrapped tamales “standing up” inside a tamale steamer. (Watch the video that accompanies this story at dining.azcentral.com).

To steam the tamales: Bring the water in the pot to a boil. Reduce the heat and cover it with a large lid. Steam the tamales for 90 minutes on medium heat. Let sit for 30 minutes. In Spanish, this is called “reposar,” and it’s an important part of the process.

Finally, enjoy with friends and family. Remember: Don’t eat the husk!

From The Tamale Store to a year, Castillo said.

The restaurant also sells its own line of homemade salsas and marinades, along with a curated selection of Mexican snacks and products.

For tamale lovers who can’t make it to the restaurant, Castillo’s tamales are available at AJ’s Fine Foods and Whole Foods stores, as well as farmers markets around Phoenix. The restaurant’s website includes a farmers markets calendar.

‘Just do it,’ home cooks

Castillo’s passion for tamales hasn’t waned a bit over the years.

“My mom still comes into the restaurant excited every single day,” Pimienta said.

After more than 10 years as a professional tamale maker, Castillo speaks about tamale-making — and tamales in general — with the reverence of somebody fresh in love.

“It’s a very versatile food because you can make it with anything. They are amazing,” Castillo said.

She believes everyone should try their hand at making tamales at least once in their life.

The secret to great tamale-making? Love, she says, and great masa.

“If you use fresh masa, you’re going to have beautiful and fresh tamales,” Castillo said.

To nervous home cooks, she offers this advice: “Don’t be intimidated. Treat it like a game. Play with the ingredients. Play with the masa. Play with the fillers. You can make wonderful tamales in your house. Just do it.”