Friday 17 February 2012

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.

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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

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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....






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Image and video hosting by TinyPic

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.

16 comments:

  1. wow... I forgot about your totally unseasonal random choice... I guess it just proves that you're doing this without cheating!... this stew looks rather wonderfully rich and naughty... I bet it tastes incredible... thank you so much for taking part this month, it's lovely to have you with us!

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  2. Looks so delicious. Mouthwatering really..

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  3. So just what does the chocolate do for the chili?

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  4. Thanks Dom and Alida, it really was lovely, it's so much nicer cooking it with beef shin instead of mince. Ruth the chocolate gives it a rich velvety texture and a deep savoury taste that go's so well with all the other ingrediants as long as you use very dark chocolate without lot's of sugar in it or it will be very sweet which is something you don't want!

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  5. ooh, chilli with chocolate, i think my mister will like that!

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  6. That's one serious chilli and great for a cold night like tonight.

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  7. this is just a little note to let you know that i really enjoy reading your blog, and have a little award waiting for you.

    if you're time-pressed and hate the idea of having to follow these 'rules', or if you're stridently anti-award, please don't feel obligated to respond.

    i'm just letting you know that your
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  8. Oh wow thanks so much for nominating me, of course I will do it, I'm really pleased! So happy you enjoy reading my blog, it's lovely to hear.xxx

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  9. This chilli sounds immense! I have looked at this recipe before - but never gone ahead and made it. I will now. I love a good chilli, and it's amazing how many different variations there are.

    Love the blog too!

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  10. Hi James, it's an amazing chilli, my favourite one ive made so far. The chorizo sausage in it makes it extra delicious!

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  11. I never would have thought of adding chocolate to chilli but I can totally see why it works. The result looks so comforting!

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  12. Lucy you must do it, it's a very very good idea!x

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  13. I'm not a red meat eater but this looks delicious and I'm sure would work with chicken. I have this book but never noticed the recipe before. The chocolate makes such a lovely glossy sauce.
    Thanks for sharing.
    Deb

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  14. ooh nice one! chocolate and chilli sounded very odd to me in the past, but all these choc chilli recipes I've seen lately have convinced me it's definitely not a bad combination! lucky you to have picked this from nigella's cookbook!

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  15. I do love this book and it's become a staple at Christmas (including when we celebrate our mid-winter Christmas in July here in NZ), but really admire you for braving it again so soon after Christmas for this challenge! I've never made this recipe from it; I do use chocolate in chilli, but the idea of putting chorizo in is new to me. What a great idea though - the deep paprika flavour would totally enhance the rest of the ingredients, I imagine.

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  16. This looks brilliant - and aren'y you glad you didn't randomly end up making a February Christmas cake!!!

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