Ingredients (makes eight servings)
For chilly paste
- 3 large or 6 medium ancho chiles
- 2 dried pasilla chiles
- 2 canned adobo canned chiles
- 4 cups of chicken broth (or vegetable one)
For the chili
- chile paste
- a few tablespoons of olive oil
- 2 15.5-ounce cans of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed properly
- 3 pounds of ground turkey
- 2 onions, peeled and finely chopped
- 5 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced
- 2 tablespoons ground cumin
- 2 tablespoons of tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 1 12-ounce bottle of lager or hard cider (replace with 5 cups of water if you want to not add alcohol)
- two bay leaves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 3 tablespoons of maple syrup
- salt and pepper to taste
- Optional: Greek yogurt, cilantro for garnishing, tostadas.
Instructions
For the chile paste
In a large pot, bring your broth to a simmer and then set it to the side. While the broth is heating up, discard the stems from the guajillo, pasilla, and ancho chiles and tear them into a few pieces, getting rid of most of the seeds. Add your chile pieces to the broth once it is hot enough, and leave them to hydrate for about half an hour.
Once hydrated and soft, add your chipotle chiles and then blend with an immersion blender until it forms a smooth puree, about 1 minute. Set aside until ready to use in the chili.
For the chili
In a large pot, cook your turkey meat in a few tablespoons of olive oil in batches, seasoning with salt. You should add part of your meat, break it up with your spoon, and leave it to cook until browned on the bottom and no longer pink on top and all the meat juices are gone. Transfer to a plate and set aside, repeating until all of the meat is partially cooked.
In the same pan, add two tablespoons of olive oil, then add your garlic and onion over medium heat. Cook them for about 10 to 12 minutes after seasoning them with salt, until the onions are translucent and a bit brown on the sides. Add your oregano and cumin, stir, and cook for about 1 minute until fragrant. Stir in the tomato paste to coat all of the vegetables, and cook for another minute or so, until the paste darkens slightly.
Add your cider or lager (or water), making sure to scrape the bottom of the pot well, then your bay leaves and cinnamon stick. Bring it to a simmer and leave it to reduce in volume for about 5 minutes.
Once the 5 minutes are up, add your premade beans, chile puree, and maple syrup. Add 4 cups of water to your chile puree pot, stir, and add the water to the chili pot. Bring to a simmer after seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. Leave the mixture to simmer for about 1 hour, stirring occasionally to thicken it up.
Add your turkey and then simmer for another half hour, until everything is well combined and the flavors have melded together well.
Serve immediately with yogurt and tostadas, or leave to cool before storing in the fridge for up to three days!
This meal is going to make everyone love chili instantly!
