Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Chicken Chili Verde




When I feel the first chill in the air each fall, my first thoughts turn to chili.  There is just nothing like a big bowl of chili, loaded with toppings, enjoyed with a big hunk of cornbread.  I make a lot of chili throughout the fall and winter months, ranging from classic beef and bean chili, to white bean chicken chili, vegetarian black bean chili, quinoa chicken chili, taco chili, even tequila-lime turkey chili.  It's hard to pick a favorite, since they're all so different, and they all satisfy different cravings and moods.

This chili satisfies the "all my kids are sick, we're having some decidedly not-fun house issues, and it's cold outside" mood.  And it is amazing.  The base of the chili is made up of three different kinds of chile peppers - jalapeños, poblanos, and anaheims.  It also uses hominy, rather than beans, to add bulk to the chili, and it's a great move.  I love hominy, so anytime I see it in a recipe, I want to make it immediately.

The chili is slightly spicy, with a slightly tangy undertone from the milder peppers.  It's finished with cilantro, scallions, and lime juice, and the bright freshness is a great complement to the spice.  I served this at Henry and Tucker's baptism luncheon over the weekend, and it was a hit with our families as well.

If you're like me, and love to constantly try new recipes for chili, give this one a try.  It's an instant classic.

Chicken Chili Verde
adapted from Elly Says Opa and ATK's Healthy Family Cookbook
serves 6 to 8 generously
  • 3 lbs bone-in, skin on chicken pieces (breasts, thighs, or a mixture of both)
  • 1 Tbs canola oil
  • 2 medium jalapeño peppers, seeded and minced
  • 3 medium anaheim or cubanelle peppers, stemmed, seeded, and coarsely chopped
  • 3 medium poblano peppers, stemmed, seeded, and coarsely chopped
  • 2 medium onions, cut into large pieces
  • 6 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 Tbs cumin
  • 3/4 tsp ground coriander
  • 2 (14.5 oz) cans hominy, drained and rinsed, divided
  • 3-4 cups chicken broth, divided
  • juice of 2 limes
  • 1/3 cup minced fresh cilantro
  • 4 green onions, thinly sliced

Generously season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat a large Dutch oven with the oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, skin-side down, and cook about 5 minutes. Fli[ the chicken and brown on the other side, 3-4 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pot and set aside. Drain off all but 1 tablespoon of fat from the pot.
Meanwhile, add 2 of the  jalapeño peppers to the bowl of a food processor, along with the anaheims, poblanos, and onions (do this in multiple batches if you don’t have a very large work bowl).  Process until you reach the consistency of chunky salsa, about 12-15 pulses, scraping down the sides of the bowl halfway through.
Add the puree to the Dutch oven over medium heat, along with the garlic, cumin, coriander, and about 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Cook, covered, for about 10 minutes or until vegetables soften, stirring occasionally.
Remove the pot from heat and combine 1 cup of the vegetable mixture, 1 cup of the hominy, and 1 cup of the chicken broth into the bowl of a food processor. Process until smooth, about 20 seconds.  Return the mixture to the pot, and add the remaining 3 cups of broth. Nestle the browned chicken into the liquid, and bring to a boil. Reduce to medium-low and simmer, covered, until chicken registers 160º, stirring occasionally. This should take about 20 minutes.
Remove the chicken with tongs and transfer to a plate. Stir the remaining hominy into the pot and simmer for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, remove the skin from the chicken and dice or shred the meat.
Stir the chicken, lime juice, cilantro, and green onions into the chili and season to taste with salt and pepper.  Serve.


13 comments:

Winnie Dolderer said...

Your Tequila Time Turkey Chili is so amazing. I get raves for it as it is tasty and everyone can eat it as it isn't hot (I add heat to my bowl). I can't wait to try this one, I have never had hominy though, don't think I see it in stores either. May have to use white beans if I can't find it. Thanks for all the cooking fun.

Eileen said...

This sounds like a good candidate for the "make a big vat of chili, then freeze it for future busy nights" application. So good!

Joanne (eats well with others) said...

I'm definitely all about the chili love during the fall and winter. I think I literally make it every other week! Love the hominy in this. It gets me every time.

Kevin @ Closet Cooking said...

What a tasty bowl of chili!

http://www.promptessay.com/ said...

look.....http://www.promptessay.com/

Interesting information and cute writing style.This is a cool read ..

http://www said...

Very nice and helpful trustwebsitehostingreviews.com information has been given
in this article.)

http://www said...

Excellent post.I want to www.trustwebsitehostingreviews.com thank you for this
informative read, I really appreciate sharing this great post. Keep up your
work.

david said...

Very impressive publication here. Moreover as I see, this question is very actual for many people indeed. Personally I totally agree with author opinion about this subject and I think that it would be really interesting to create suchhttp://www.promptessay.com

discussion with other this website visitors. Anyway thanks a lot one more time for the great and informative publication. And I will definitely be waiting for more such nice posts like this one from you

Rachel Ring said...

This could be way more unhealthy/fatty - it is not loaded with cheese or anything! This looks FANTASTIC, I just stocked up on some Andouille Sausage on sale, looks like it would fit perfectly in here!

Rachel Ring said...

YUM - tasted it out of the pot as everything is simmering - I used a mix of Dijon & Spicy Brown, what a great kick that adds, and with an IPA - PERFECT fit!

Nic said...

Lawdy! This stuff is sooo so good. My only change was to roast the peppers under the broiler before using them. The flavors are so fresh and bright & it has the prefect subtle heat from the peppers.

Josie said...

I'm so glad you liked it, Nic!

Josie said...

Look it quite fascinating and that is what I want to satisfy their curiosity about it.

Post a Comment

 
BLOG DESIGN BY: SHERBET BLOSSOM DESIGNS