We returned from almost two weeks in Florida to find snow on the ground in Chicago. Our spirits sank as we contemplated the return to school and work and the several months of winter ahead. The only thing to do was to hole up in the warm house and cook some serious comfort food while the blizzard came down outside.
For my family, comfort food comes in the form of this Cocoa Chicken Chili. This recipe has been adapted from the chicken chili recipe in the Silver Palate Good Times cookbook, a classic from the 1980’s. My mother used to make a big batch of this chili when we hosted friends for weekend parties at our country house near Culpepper, Virginia. Everyone loved it.
Before adding the cocoa powder
The chicken chili starts off as a pretty standard bowl of red, with sweet and hot peppers, lots of seasonings and crushed tomatoes. Even the bottle of beer poured in with the tomatoes is not too unusual. It is only with the addition of the cocoa powder — please make sure that it is unsweetened — at the very end that this chili veers almost into mole territory. It is sophisticated enough to serve a crowd of adults at a casual dinner party but accessible enough that my eleven-year-old counts it as her favorite food. The absence of beans, by the way, is critical to pleasing my eleven year old.
One of the things my mother used to do, and I still do today, is to lay the table with a selection of toppings, like grated cheddar cheese, chopped scallions, diced avocado, sour cream, fresh cilantro and more so that each diner can customize his or her own bowl of chili. I serve my Cocoa Chicken Chili over rice to make it a hearty meal. Anyone who is watching his or her carbs, however, can simply skip the rice and opt for a bigger bowl of the red stuff.
If you are pressed for time, you can brown the chicken in a different pot at the same time that you are sautéing the vegetables. It is not my preference, however, because, first of all, you dirty an extra pot. We all do enough dishes, thank you very much. But more importantly, you miss out on the depth of flavor that comes from browning the chicken in the same pot that you ultimately end up using for the chili. When you add the liquid, you scrape up the browned bits of chicken clinging to bottom of the pot — a process known as deglazing, by the way — and this contributes to a richer, deeper flavor.
This recipe serves four with rice, and two without, but feel free to double it if you are expecting a crowd. Or double it and freeze half for another day.
- 3 TB olive oil
- 1½ lbs. boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into pieces
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 red peppers, chopped
- 2 jalapeno peppers, seeds and veins removed and minced
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp coriander
- 1 tsp Mexican oregano
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- 1 28 oz can whole tomatoes
- 1 12 oz bottle beer
- 2 TB cocoa powder
- Cabot Creamery Vermont Sharp Cheddar, grated
- 1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
- 4 scallions, white and green part, sliced
- Sour Cream
- 1 avocado, cut into chunks
- Heat the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat.
- Brown the pieces of chicken on all sides working in batches as necessary. (The chicken will not be cooked through at this point.) Remove chicken to a plate and set aside.
- Pour off all but one tablespoon of oil.
- Heat the remaining oil and add the onion and garlic. Sauté over medium-low heat until softened, about five minutes.
- Add the red peppers and jalapeños and sauté until tender, about ten minutes.
- Add the cumin, coriander, cinnamon, cayenne, and oregano and stir to combine. Continue to sauté until fragrant, about three more minutes. Season well with salt and pepper.
- Add the can of tomatoes, crushing with your hands or a wooden spoon to break up the tomatoes.
- Add the beer and return the chicken pieces and any juices that have accumulated to the pot and stir to combine. Using your wooden spoon, scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pot.
- Bring the mixture to a boil.
- Turn down the heat and simmer until thickened and the flavors have melded, about forty minutes.
- Add the cocoa powder, sifting it if necessary to remove lumps, and heat through.
- Serve over rice if desired.
- Pass the grated cheddar, cilantro, scallions, sour cream, and avocado and allow diners to garnish their bowl as they wish.
What is your snowy day comfort food?
This looks fantastic Emily! Cocoa powder- so interesting… Can’t wait to try it!
I’m going to have to give this one a try.