Wednesday, May 17, 2017

Southwest White (Chicken) Chili


For someone who claims to be a pizza guy, I sure write a lot about chili, don't I?  This time it's Chicken Chili, and this time, I learned a lot.

The Boss was craving a good bowl of white chicken chili. I had seen it before, tried canned versions once or twice, but wasn't particularly fond of it because, as I recall, there seemed to have a sweetness about it I think doesn't belong in chili. But I was willing to give it a go anyway for two reasons.

  1. First, The Boss requested it, and the goal of any cook is to make foods their family and friends like and want to eat. 
  2. Second, with all my talk and exploration of chili recipes, this was logically something I needed to attempt.

I combed my cookbooks, looked online, and eventually found the consensus ingredients that most recipes had, then used that as my groundwork.  and worked from there. One ingredient that surprised me in the numbers of times it was mentioned and included was jalapenos. Some recipes said to buy and mince one or two per pound of chicken, others said to just slice them but remove the seeds, and a handful said to drain the ones found in a jar. I decided to use fresh peppers in line with the old adage that fresh ingredients are always best.

Yes, yes, I know most chili is supposed to have heat, but I didn't think white chili traditionally does, and in this case, I should have modified the jalapenos suggestion. The Boss loved the overall flavor, including the flavor the jalapenos added, but the heat over-powered the chili. This was despite the fact that I had removed all the seeds. The only thing that occurs to me is that I didn't remove the inside rind of the peppers which is where at least half (some say more) of the heat comes from. And while I may love heat,many only want a moderate level, so in the future, I know to go easy on the jalapenos (if at all), and have each person add their own hot sauce as desired.

Needless to say, this version of the chili offered up the excuse to drink plenty of beer, and like always, I am determined (some would say stubborn) enough to give this another go soon.

And just now I'm hit with a bit of stray inspiration - chili dogs. Has anyone ever tried white chili dogs?

Now that sounds like a challenge.

Until Next Time....
Heatedly Yours,
Michael