Tamales verdes de pollo y rajas

Bring five quarts of water to a boil.

Add salt, six garlic cloves, a white onion, three bay leaves, two teaspoons of peppercorn and seven pounds of chicken breast.

Bring back to a boil and remove all the foam that forms on top of the broth.

Reduce to medium heat, cover and cook 35 minutes.

Roast nine chile poblanos and five green chiles.

Transfer the roasted chiles to a bowl or plastic bag and keep them covered.

Cover 25 tomatillos, jalapenos and chiles de arbol with water, set on high heat and bring to a boil.

Drain the water off the tomatillos and chiles and set them aside.

Peel and devein the roasted chiles, removing the stem and the seeds.

Reserve the green chiles and one chile poblano for the sauce. Cut the rest of the poblanos open into strips, then the strips in half, for the rajas.

Lift the chicken out of the broth and give it a few minutes so it shreds easily.

Into the blender put all the tomatillos and boiled chiles, four garlic cloves, half a white onion and half a cup of chicken broth.

Add one and a half teaspoons of black pepper, one teaspoon of oregano, half a teaspoon of cumin seeds and chicken bouillon, and blend until smooth.

Add a handful of cilantro, the green chiles and the reserved poblano and blend smooth again.

Shred the chicken.

In a pan over medium heat add a little oil, then one onion, and give it a couple of minutes.

Add the rajas and one can of corn, mix and give it a couple of minutes.

Add the shredded chicken and mix it in.

Add the sauce, rinsing the blender out with about half a cup of broth, and make sure everything is well mixed.

Bring to a simmer and taste for salt, then reduce to the lowest setting and simmer five minutes.

Turn the filling off, cover it and set it aside.

Beat 12 ounces of lard in a stand mixer on medium speed for five minutes.

Reduce to the lowest speed and add five teaspoons of baking powder, then alternate six cups of instant corn masa for tamales with four cups of broth, a cup of each at a time.

Once all four cups of broth are in, add between four and five cups of water. The masa should be well hydrated; it looks very watery at first and comes together as it sits.

Speed up to medium and mix for 15 minutes.

Throw a piece of masa into a cup of water; it has to float. If it does not, add about a quarter cup of water, mix two minutes and test again.

Cover the masa and let it rest 20 minutes, until it is nice and fluffy.

Spread the masa on the soft side of the pre-soaked corn husks. It should spread like butter; do not make them too thin.

Add enough filling, and cheese if you like. Grab one end of the husk and cover the filling, bring the other end over and overlap it, then grab the tail and fold it up.

Stand the tamales up in the steamer pot.

Cover them with a kitchen towel and then the lid, and weigh the lid down so the steamer pot is completely sealed.

Steam two hours on medium heat.

Take the tamales out and let the masa set five minutes.

Top with a little crema mexicana and some of the leftover salsa verde.