Corn-husk tamales

Place the dried corn husks in a large bowl and cover with boiling water. Let soak 30 minutes or longer. Drain and select as many as you can of the larger pieces, being careful not to open the crinkled leaves of the core that are full of corn silk. Select some of the better-looking middle-sized or narrow pieces, which you will be pasting together as necessary. Pat the husks dry.

Working with a few at a time, fill and fold them as follows. Place a large husk on the counter. With a spatula, spread ¼ to ⅓ cup of masa mixture across the lower (wide) end of the husk, covering it from side to side and extending about halfway up toward the narrow tip. If there is a meat, chicken, or other filling, place about 1 heaping tablespoon of filling in the center of the masa mixture. Either roll the tamal up lengthwise and fold in half, or first fold the right third over to the center and then fold the left side over it (figures 1 and 2), then fold up the narrow end even with the wide end so the tamal is folded roughly in half crosswise (figure 3). Smaller husks will take less masa mixture and filling. If necessary, use a bit of masa to paste together a couple of husks too small to use by themselves. As they are finished, place the tamales on a baking sheet until ready to steam. (They can be refrigerated, covered with plastic wrap, up to a day, or frozen for one month.)