CROCK-POT CHICKEN CHOCOLATE CHILI

CROCK-POT CHICKEN CHOCOLATE CHILI image

Yield 12 cups

Number Of Ingredients 29

Ingredients

For the chili
6 oz. dried black beans - soaked overnight
6 oz. dried pinto beans - soaked overnight
2 lbs skinless boneless chicken thighs
1 TBSP olive oil
1 28oz. can of diced fire-roasted tomatoes (you can use regular tomatoes if fire-roasted are not available)
1 bottle of Guinness stout, extra stout or another stout beer (and if you can find chocolate stout terrific!)
½ cup water
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
1/2 cup of chopped cilantro, divided in half
1 large onion, chopped (about 2 cups)
A 1 lb butternut squash, peeled and chopped into bite-sized pieces (about 3 cups)
1 oz. unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped
1 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
1 tsp grated orange zest
2 TBSP masa harina or very finely ground cornmeal plus 3-4 TBSP hot water, mixed to make a slurry
2 ½ TBSP Spice Mix (see below)
Spice Mix
People argue about their preference of chili powders and heat level as much as their politics. I like a little heat, but firmly believe that food should not hurt. Naturally, my choices of ground chilies reflect that, and this recipe is on the mild side. I love ancho for its fruity nature, new mexico chilies for heat that won't blow the back of your head off, and the smoky spiciness of smoked Spanish paprika, or pimenton. When I'm serving this to company, I'll serve some roasted green chilies on the side so those who like more heat can add it in themselves.
1 TBSP tsp salt
1 TBSP chili powder
1 TBSP ground cumin
1 TBSP ancho chili powder
1 tsp New Mexico chili powder
1 tsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp black pepper
½ tsp hot pimenton (smoked Spanish paprika)
½ tsp ground coriander

Steps:

Mix all of the spices together until fully blended. This makes more than you'll need for the recipe, so just keep the extra in a jar for the next time, or when you want a little spice on chicken, meat, or fish. Put the chicken in a sealable bag and add in a heaping TBSP of the spice mix. Knead the bag so all of the chicken is covered with the mix. Put in the fridge to sit for at least an hour. When you are ready to make the chili, heat 1 TBSP olive oil in a large frying pan over medium high heat and brown the chicken on both sides. You may have to do this in two batches so the chicken isn't crowded. Once the chicken is browned, remove it to a plate, turn heat to low and add ¼ cup of the beer and deglaze the pan, scraping up the browned bits stuck to bottom of pan. Turn off the heat and add back in the chicken and any juices. Let sit until you're ready to add to the crock-pot.Drain and rinse the soaked dry beans and put into the crock-pot. Add in the onion, garlic, squash, chicken, pan juices you just deglazed, the can of diced tomatoes and ¼ cup chopped cilantro. Mix everything together well so all the ingredients are well distributed. Add in the remaining beer and ½ cup of water, then the chopped chocolate and the remainder of the spice mix. Mix well again. The liquid should be up to the top of the ingredients but not covering. If you need more liquid, add a little more water.Set the crock-pot to cook on high for 6 hours. At 5-½ hours remove the chicken, shred it with 2 forks and add back into pot. Make a slurry from the masa and hot water, add to the pot and mix well. Let the chili cook another 30 minutes to thicken the sauce. Taste for seasonings and add salt and pepper if needed. Add in the other ¼ cup of chopped cilantro and stir. Calories: about 265 per cup. As with any stew, chili is always better a day or two later, so this is the perfect recipe to do ahead, and it freezes beautifully.