a different take on chili

A few weeks ago, I spotted some fresh Hatch chiles in Whole Foods, chiles from a specific area in New Mexico that produce a distinct flavor that shows up in some of the best New Mexican foods.  I didn't know what I wanted to do with them, so I brought them home, roasted and peeled them, and stuck them in the freezer.

Well, fall has finally come to Greenville, and that puts me in the mood for all kinds of chilies and stews.  With those Hatch chiles in the freezer, along with some frozen white corn and a couple of boneless, skinless chicken breasts, dinner started to come together.  I really didn't want to go to the grocery store, and I had dried white beans in the pantry, along with onions, garlic, a yellow pepper, and some mushrooms.  That spells chicken chili, and since I was using dried beans, I decided to try the pressure cooker.

 mise en place for chicken chili, clockwise from 12 o'clock:

minced serrano chiles, diced onion, chopped Hatch chiles,

quartered mushrooms, diced yellow sweet pepper, 

and minced garlic in the center

If you don't have a yellow sweet pepper, use sweet red or green pepper.  No Hatch chiles lurking in the freezer?  Use a couple of little cans of green chiles, drained, which can be found in the international food section of any grocery store.  I just ran about five cloves of garlic through the garlic press, but jarred minced garlic would work just fine.   The minced peppers and onion start off in a tablespoon of oil, and are sauteed just until soft.

once the veggies are soft, a tablespoon each of 

ground coriander and ground cumin are added,

along with the minced garlic

Once the garlic and spices are fragrant, dump in a cup and a half of dried beans, along with four cups of chicken broth, and a cup of water or white wine.  Ach!  I thought I had homemade chicken broth in the freezer.  And no canned broth in the pantry.  But I did have a wonderful demiglace concentrate.  These stock concentrates come in chicken, veal, seafood, lamb, and mushroom varieties, keep forever, are very low in sodium compared with canned broths, and are a great way to enrich gravies and sauces.   They are available in higher-end grocery stores, as well as online.

this concentrate makes a very rich, low sodium, flavorful stock -- 

they are not cheap, but I think they are worth the cost, 

since a little goes along way

If you are up for a leisurely simmer, or you are using a pressure cooker, dump in a cup and a half of dried white beans.

love this adjustable measuring cup, for both

wet and dry ingredients

In a pressure cooker, the beans take 20 minutes on high pressure to become tender.  On top of the stove, follow the timing recommended on the package.  Or, simply add a couple of 14 ounce cans of canned white beans.  Cannellini beans are nice.  Don't rinse them -- you want all of that bean starch to thicken the chili.  Once the beans are tender, take out a generous cup of the beans and broth, and put it in a blender to liquefy.  Once the beans are creamy, return them to the pot to thicken things up a bit.  Slip the mushrooms and two boneless, skinless chicken breast halves into the pot.   If you are using a pressure cooker, return the pot to high pressure for just 5 minutes.  Allow the pressure to drop for 5 minutes off the heat, release the pressure, and remove the breasts to a plate.  In a pot on the stove, simmer the breasts for about 15 minutes, and remove them to a plate.  Cover the breasts.  Taking the chicken out of the pot as soon as it is cooked is important, because the breast meat is so easy to overcook and dry out.  If you need the dish to be a little more forgiving, simply substitute boneless skinless chicken thighs, which are much harder to overcook.

 add 1-2 cups of frozen corn to the pot --

I prefer white corn, but any will do

once the chicken is cool, shred it, and add to the chili

just a few minutes before serving, just to reheat

Once the chicken has reheated, now is the time to taste the chili and adjust for salt and pepper.  Mine tonight took a couple of teaspoons of salt, as well as a pinch of red pepper flakes.

Serve the chili topped with a little grated sharp cheddar, and a pinch of chopped green onions, or offer a whole assortment of toppings.  A little sour cream would be nice, as would chopped cilantro, minced chives, crumbled Fritos, or grated pepperjack cheese.

Chili with sharp cheddar and minced scallion,

with a warm, buttered corn muffin

With a piece of warm corn bread on the side, this is a light, but still filling meal for a cool fall or winter evening. It is also economical because about 10 bucks worth of ingredients will feed 4-6 people.  It is also a great recipe to keep in mind for the inevitable left over turkey destined to show up in the fridge later this month.