While I may be in complete denial that Autumn is upon us (Summer is forever!), people around me seem to have other opinions. They keep making references to the days growing shorter. They keep talking about that game where two groups of men pulverize each other over an oblong ball. They are putting pumpkin spice in literally everything. “It’s almost chili season,” they tell me. Nonsense. You don’t need to wait for a particular season to make a good pot of chili.
I’ve been rather enamored with white chili lately. Now don’t get me wrong, I am always down for a bowl of classic red chili with beef and kidney beans (it is one of the handful of uses for tomatoes that I am totally on board with), but I am all about variety in the kitchen. That is kind of the whole point of this blog, if you haven’t picked up on that yet. But another reason I’ve been making the less chromatically-oriented version is Chele. Since finding out about her nightshade sensitivity, tomatoes and peppers have been off her menu – and therefore so has chili. She challenged me to come up with something that could fill that bowl-shaped void in her life using ingredients that are safe for her to eat. White chili is a step towards that goal in the fact that it skips tomatoes entirely.
Now, the recipe we are sharing this time is NOT that nightshade-free, gluten-free, dairy-free chili substitute Chele is after (that recipe is coming along nicely and will be here on Gastricurious in the not-too-distant future). Instead, what we have here is something I came up with for myself while experimenting with ingredient ideas. I love cactus and have always wanted to try a cactus chili, so this seemed as good a time as any to throw some in. I also have a sizeable stash of wild bergamot leaves that I dried after using the flowers to make jelly, so I had to play with some of that (granted, that is an ingredient that I don’t expect most people to have on hand, but highly recommend trying if you have access. Or you can just use oregano instead if you aren’t a crazy person like me).
If there is one weak point in most white chili recipes, it’s the broth. Often times they can’t hide that it is basically just chicken broth with some chiles and mashed beans. I’ve tried some recipes that try to rely on lime or lemon juice to change things up, which just makes it taste like chicken broth with lime or lemon in it. I wanted something richer and more complex, so as many men do when confronted with a task, I cracked open a beer. Specifically, Stone Brewing Tangerine Express IPA. This particular beer melds very well with the other flavors in this chili. The heavy hop presence of this IPA adds an extra dimension to the flavor (but not the bitterness usually associated with hops – it completely mellows out here), and the citrus notes from the tangerine complement the natural tartness of the cactus quite nicely.
So give the tomatoes some time off and try this one out the next time you are looking for a nice, hot bowl of something filled with spicy meat and beans. Maybe call some friends over to share some while watching large men bash each other in the middle of a large field. Or maybe while watching this year’s Petite Le Mans, like I will be in a few weeks.
Tangerine Express White Chicken Chili
Ingredients
- 3 Tbs Olive oil divided
- 1.5 lbs diced chicken breast
- Salt and pepper
- 1 medium vidalia onion diced
- 6 cloves garlic
- 2 poblano peppers seeded and diced small
- 1 habanero minced (remove seeds for less heat, or omit completely for a milder chili)
- ½ cup diced cactus
- 2 tsp dried wild bergamot or oregano
- 1 Tbs cumin
- 1 Tbs dried cilantro
- 1 tsp crushed dried chipotles
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup Stone Brewing Co. Tangerine Express IPA (or similar citrus IPA beer)
- 3 cans great northern beans drained and rinsed
- Shredded Chihuahua or Jack cheese to serve (optional)
Instructions
- Heat 1 Tbs olive oil in a Dutch oven or braising pan over medium heat. Season chicken generously with salt and pepper, then add to pan and brown on all sides. Remove from pan and set aside.
- Heat remaining 2 Tbs olive oil. Add onions and garlic and saute until translucent, about 2-3 minutes. Add poblanos, habanero, and cactus. Continue cooking for another 5 minutes, or until poblanos start to soften and cactus changes color.
- Return chicken to pan. Add broth, cilantro, cumin, chipotle, and wild bergamot or oregano. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Stir in beer.
- Mash one can of beans with a potato masher. Stir into pot, along with the other two cans of whole beans. Bring to a simmer and cook 30 minutes.
- Serve topped with shredded cheese, if desired.
Notes
- Fresh cactus (nopal) is readily available at hispanic markets and most mainstream supermarkets that stock hispanic produce. Look for it near the chili peppers. Some stores offer it pre-cleaned and diced (Meijer and Tony’s Fresh Market locations here in the Chicago area often stock cut cactus).
- To make this gluten-free: Omit the beer, or substitute a gluten-free beer like New Grist from Lakefront Brewery. (Both options will change the flavor of this recipe).
