Random Recipies 1st Birthday..Nigella Lawson's Choc Chip Chilli

So one year ago for my first 'Random Recipes' created by the lovely Dom over at Belleau Kitchen, the book I ended up picking was Nigella Lawsons book called 'Nigella Christmas' and it was the middle of July, all I can say is thank God I didn't pick roast goose with all the trimmings......
So once again here I am with the same book as before and this time I have randomly picked a recipe for 'Choc Chip Chilli' which I was very happy with although as the weather has been so cold I would have pretty happy with the roast goose!
Nigella's recipe uses shin of been and chorizo sausage with dark chocolate, it sounded amazing and it really was, I always use dark chocolate in my chilli because it gives a dark smooth savourness which is amazing and I urge you to give it a go but make sure you use very very dark chocolate like Green and Blacks as it doesn't have a high sugar content. I have reduced the amounts because I don't need to cook for 12 and not added tomato ketchup.



Ingredients

10 mini chorizo sausages ( un-cooked)
3 1/4 lb boneless beef shank, cut into rough cubes
3 onions
3 cloves garlic,
1 red chilli
Glug of piri piri oil or vegetable
Seeds from 3 cardamom pods
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon of smoked paprika (not in Nigella recipe)
1 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
Half a tube of tomato paste
1 can red kidney beans, drained
2 cans diced tomatoes
Half a bar of dark chocolate
1 cup water

Finely chop the onion, garlic and chile.

Heat the oil in a large ovenproof pan and fry the onion, garlic and chile until soft, on low for about 10 minutes, then add the cardamom sees, cumin, coriander, cinnamon and red pepper flakes.

Add the sliced chorizo and let them ooze their paprika-orange oil.

Drop in the cubes of beef, turning them in the pan with the chorizo and onion mix, to brown the meat.

Stir in the tomato paste, drained kidney beans and diced tomatoes. Add the water and bring the chili to a boil.

Once it's started bubbling, sprinkle the chocolate ships over the chili and give it a good stir. Put on the lid and transfer to the oven or you can cook it on the hob with the lid half on which is what I did.

Cook at this low heat for 3 hours. I ate it strait away but as you all know the flavour will improve with age....

I highly recommend making this chilli, I served mine with rice, guacamole, sour cream and cheese and it was warming and very filling. This is only the second 'Random Recipes' I have done, really need to do them more often! Nigella Christmas is one of my favourite cook books of all time, it has loads of gorgeous recipes in it so remember it's for life and not just for Christmas.