Recipe Review from 1/18/10

Busy, busy, week last week so I didn’t get recipe #2 made which was a salmon and black bean tostada. Luckily I had made my lunch dish on Sunday so I have one recipe to review:

White Chili with Quick Roasted Garlic (Food Network, Jan/Feb, 2010) 3.0
This was just okay. I’m still on my pantry reduction effort and this used some frozen shredded chicken, dried beans, garlic, and the last of my duck stock. I forgot (again) to soak the beans far enough in advance so they were still a bit crunchy when I had to toss them in the pot. I also felt this recipe lacked something in the base flavor – I know a white chili is supposed to be ‘lighter’ than a traditional tomato based chili, but my tastebuds kept looking for something that wasn’t there. I also forgot to buy a pkg of frozen spinach and I only had a partial bag of fresh so not as much green as recipe called for. I probably won’t make this one again.

White Chili with Quick Roasted Garlic
For the Roasted Garlic:
• 12 cloves garlic, unpeeled
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
For the Chili:
• 12 shallots, chopped
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 Anaheim chile peppers
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 7 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 4 cups shredded cooked chicken
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 15-ounce can navy beans, undrained
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 10-ounce box frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
• 3/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup grated monterey jack cheese , for garnish

Directions
1) Make the roasted garlic: Toss the 12 cloves garlic with the olive oil and 1 teaspoon water in a microwave-safe bowl. Cover, leaving a vent, and microwave until soft, about 90 seconds. Let cool, covered.

2) Prepare the chili: Preheat the broiler. Cook the shallots in the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-low heat until caramelized, about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, place the chiles on a foil-lined broiler pan and broil until charred on all sides, turning, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let cool. Peel the peppers with your fingers or a paring knife. Stem, seed and chop.

3) Add the minced garlic to the shallots and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the flour and cook, stirring, until toasted, about 3 minutes. Increase the heat to high and add the wine; simmer 2 minutes, scraping up any browned bits from the pan. Add the roasted chiles, 6 cups broth, the chicken, chili powder, cayenne, beans, and salt and black pepper to taste. Return to a simmer.

4) Meanwhile, squeeze the soft pulp from the roasted garlic into a blender or food processor. Add the remaining 1 cup broth and process until smooth. Add to the chili and simmer until thickened, about 30 minutes, adding the spinach during the last 5 minutes. Add the paprika and cream and season with salt and pepper. Garnish with the cheese.