Diced! Chili Cook-off: AJ – Chicken Chili Poutine

Autumn. Perfect weather for carving pumpkins, watching football and eating chili. The Ranting Chef is excited to host the Diced! Chili Cook-off. We have a number of competitors that have submitted a chili recipe and post for consideration. For three out of five weeks I will post four entries each week. At the end of each week a poll will be opened to vote on your favorite from the week. The poll will be open from Friday to the following Wednesday. The top 3 vote getters in each week will be pitted against each other at the end to determine the winner.Check out today’s post from AJ at Chili 365…

Chicken Chili Poutine

Things you should know about this chili:

10) Poutine is a Canadian dish loosely consisting of French fries topped with cheese curds and smothered in gravy.

9) I’ve made 314 batches of chili this year (one per day). Through the slog of spices, tomato sauce, and various meats, I firmly (though mistakenly) believed that I magically would be transformed into a crimson-stained oracle of chili wisdom. I have never been so tragically wrong.

8) The only conviction to which I frantically cling is this: chili is comfort food. Some find comfort in gods, guns, or grandmas. I take solace in chili (beer and cheese ain’t bad neither).

7) I fully anticipate this chili instigating a full-fledged frenzy in Canada. If you know any Canadians, you’ll concede that Canadian delirium would amount to a bunch of Canadians standing around and sedately proclaiming my chili, “Pretty good, eh?”

6) I did not seek Justin Bieber’s consent (expressed or implied) before making this chili.

5) This chili will neither induce nor will it remedy an unintended pregnancy.

4) While the Double Scottish Ale used in this recipe made the transition from “beverage” to “ingredient” rather seamlessly, I teared up a little bit. (Alright, I cried. Who wouldn’t? I sacrificed…and it hurt).

3) My pet chickens have no knowledge of this chili but since the little biddies are forcefully suspicious by nature, it’s a good bet they have my kitchen on 24 hour stake-out.

2) Meat ingredients are used in the recipe because I live by the credo, “Gore or be gored.”

1) My attention deficit disorder meds have finally ceased their restless wandering and have settled into my cerebral cortex and thus, without any further, tortured prose, here is the recipe:

¾ lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs, diced

1 T chili powder

½ t cumin

½ t paprika

½ t Mexican oregano

1 ¼ C tomato sauce (You could use an 8 oz can of sauce instead.)

1/3 C HEAVY ale (I used a double Scottish Ale. My advice is to go big.)

1 t hot sauce (We used Louisiana hot sauce. You could use something hotter, but would you really want to make a Canadian blush?)

20 oz French fries, cooked

8 oz Cheese cubes, or shredded cheese, or cheese curds

Directions:

• Fry chicken, chili powder, cumin, paprika, and oregano until the chicken is cooked through. I like working the frying chicken around with a spatula, allowing the chicken bits to become jacketed in robust seasoning. It works. Try it.

• Add tomato sauce, beer (it’s okay to cry), and hot sauce, stirring well.

• Simmer in an uncovered pot for one hour. This gives the chili time to reduce in volume and gives the cook time to finish the beer and start another. I guess you could cook the fries while you’re at it.

• When the chili and fries have finished cooking, busy yourself with assembling the “goods”. Remember, it’s fries, then cheese, then chili.

A final note:

In all diffidence, the Chicken Chili Poutine *may* incite a secular, chili-induced rapture. Be warned.

I sincerely appreciate your time and thank you for checking out my recipe.   If you find that you like this or any of my chili dishes, I have both the chutzpah and the financial means to adopt you. Do not be afraid.