Chicken Chili for a Crowd (~16pp)

My last Tamworth chicken made this chili oh-so-worth it.  Next up: Riverslea Farm chickens!  Space is still available for our Tortilla Soup and Stock kitchen session.  Reserve today: gimmetheknife@gmail.com

I dunno, is it really only about the chili?

Noooo.

But an awesome chili certainly helps pop those garnishes!

You can easily halve this recipe.

Here's the slow food version ('fast food' version follows):

Mise en place:

2 4lb whole chickens
kosher salt for seasoning chicken
freshly ground black pepper
6 red bell peppers, blackened, skins removed, chopped (see below)
6 yellow bell peppers, blackened, skins removed, chopped (see below)
10 cups (~7 lg) onions, chopped evenly
1/3c olive oil (or sunflower, or corn...)
1 whole head of garlic, cloves peeled and minced
2 heaping Tbsp red curry paste (optional; use red chili flake to sub)
1 Tbsp smoked paprika
1 Tbsp chili powder
3 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp marjoram
ground cayenne pepper to taste (at least a 1/2 tsp for the pot)
6 28oz cans of whole plum tomatoes, undrained
1-1/2 Tbsp coarse smoked hickory salt
1 cup of dried black turtle beans, cooked until tender*, then drained
2 heaping cups of corn kernels (optional) (sniff, we're now officially out of Barker's corn that we shaved and froze)
a big handful of fresh basil, finely chopped
a big handful of fresh cilantro, finely chopped

Break down chickens into pieces: thighs, drums, split breasts, wings.  Roast and save the backs for stock.  Pat dry and lightly season the pieces with kosher salt and pepper, and roast at 375 for 45 minutes. Keep your eye on the breast meat, pulling those if need be to avoid overcooking. Slightly underdone is okay.  Set aside all pieces to cool once done.

While chicken roasts: Using the direct flame of your cooktop burners, blacken the washed peppers, rotating with tongs until each is evenly charred.  Don't forget to do the tops and bottoms. Place in paper bag(s) when done to let steam.  Once cool, slip skins off and core out seeds and pith.  Chop, set aside.  Do NOT rinse the peppers under water or anything like that.  My mother did this once.  Good grief.

While peppers are charring, prep onions and garlic.  In a large Dutch oven or other heavy-bottom pot, saute the onions in oil over medium heat until softened.  One after another, add the garlic thru cayenne pepper ingredients, and half of the smoked hickory salt.  Mix together well, lower heat if necessary to prevent burning.  Cook until fragrance is very evident, about a minute or so.

Stir in the tomatoes, one can after another.  I so wish I had built up a storage of homemade jars.  They go too fast!!  Anyway, let the temp come back up, then, using a potato masher, mash down the tomatoes until you reach a consistent texture within the pot.  Add the fresh herbs and let the whole thing simmer for a 1/2 hr.

While tomato mixture is simmering, pull the chicken meat from the bones.  (Be careful if in fact you have slightly underdone meat and take precautions to keep your space free from contamination issues, e.g., use a washable cutting board to work on, etc.) Season the meat with the other half of the smoked hickory salt. Set aside. (Use the bones and remaining roasted backs to make a phenomenal stock or jus!)

When the tomato mixture has cooked for its time, add in the drained beans, chicken, corn, and start checking for seasoning.  Let the whole kaboodle simmer for an additional 10-15 minutes, then rest it for at least a half hour before serving. Check for seasoning before serving.  This gives you time to go drink like a crazy person because you've been cooking all day.  Oh, c'mon, no you haven't.

Garnishes:

-freshly grated cheddar cheese (Brookford Farm's was used; it has a very edgy sharp flavor)
-shredded red cabbage (keeps for a really long time if wrapped well and stored in the crisper; our most recent head was purchased either in late December or late January at a Rollinsford market!)
-sour cream or plain yogurt (there are many local sources of yogurt available; we love Brandmoore Farm's)
-slivered sweet onion (or red, which along with yellow is very abundant locally)
-diced avocado (my desert island food, sorry)
-fresh torn cilantro (it's rumored that herbs'll be showing up at the markets soon!)

Mmmm...savory, salty, spicy, luscious, comforting, crunchy, sweet...it's all in there.

*A quick soak method can be used prior to simmering the beans to doneness.  I use Baer's Best Beans which are very fresh dried beans.  Bring 1 cup's worth of dried beans to boil in a pot of water, just enough to cover the beans, then shut off heat and let them soak for an hour.  Drain.  Refill with fresh water (I use unsalted chicken stock at this point), bring to simmer and cook until tender--usually much less than an hour for black turtle beans.  You should find them tender at about the 30-40 minute mark.  Remember, just simmer!

Fast food version:

-Don't bother with charring peppers.  Just core them and chop up.
-You won't find chicken "pieces" locally; your options then: plan ahead and roast up the birds the night before.  Or, um, store-bought.  You'll pay more per pound, of course, for pieces.
-Use good quality, organically produced canned black beans, drained of their liquid and rinsed.  One can will do ya.

Follow the recipe above, inserting these shortcuts where appropriate.