Chicken or Turkey Tamales

Recipe No. 391 from the U.S. Army’s WWII cookbook — Meat. Quantities are exactly as printed, for 100 servings; a scaled-down 8-serving version is in the notes.

Ingredients

• Chicken or turkey, cooked, cubed — 15 pounds (15 No. 56 dippers)
• Salt — 3 ounces (6 mess kit spoons)
• Pepper — ¼ ounce (1 mess kit spoon)
• Chili powder — 2 ounces (8 mess kit spoons)
• Garlic, crushed — 1 clove
• Chicken stock — 1 quart (1 No. 56 dipper)
• Potatoes, mashed — 5 pounds (2½ No. 56 dippers)
• Cornmeal — 1½ pounds (1½ mess kit cups)
• Flour, sifted — 8 pounds (8 No. 56 dippers)
• Water (to make sufficient dough) — as needed
• Fat (for frying) — as needed

Directions

1. Combine meat, salt, pepper, chili powder, garlic, and chicken stock; mix well.
2. Prepare mashed potatoes (recipe No. 624). Mix mashed potatoes, cornmeal, and flour together; add enough water to make a stiff dough.
3. Roll out dough ¼ inch thick. Cut into long strips, 2½ inches wide.
4. Place enough chicken mixture in center of each strip of dough to form a small core about ½ inch in diameter.
5. Moisten edges of dough and seal together. Cut rolled strips into pieces about 5 inches long.
6. Fry in deep hot fat (350° F.) until biscuit dough is cooked.

Notes

SCALED TO 8 SERVINGS (the original is ÷12.5): Chicken or turkey, cooked, cubed — 1 lb 3¼ oz Salt — about 1½ tsp Pepper — a pinch Chili powder — about 1 tsp Garlic, crushed — scale to taste (1 clove) Chicken stock — 5 tbsp Potatoes, mashed — 6⅓ oz Cornmeal — 2 oz Flour, sifted — 10¼ oz Water (to make sufficient dough) — to taste Fat (for frying) — to taste

— TM 10-412, Army Recipes (War Department, 15 August 1944), recipe No. 391, Meat. Army measures: 1 No. 56 dipper = 1 qt; 1 No. 55 dipper = 1¾ qt; 1 mess kit cup = 1½ pints.