Turkey Chili w/ Lime Sour Cream

Serves 12

Ingredients

For the Beans

  • ½ lb dry kidney beans, soaked overnight (or substitute canned beans)
  • 1 green jalapeno pepper
  • 2 cloves smashed garlic
  • 1 bay leaf (fresh if possible)

For the Chili

  • oil for coating bottom of pan (canola or extra virgin olive oil)
  • 2½ lbs ground turkey
  • 2 tsp kosher salt
  • 4-5 bay leaves
  • 4 cinnamon sticks
  • 1 tsp dried chili pepper
  • 4 tbsp spice blend (equal parts ground coriander, cumin & fennel seed)
  • 1 cup chopped celery
  • 1 cup chopped carrots
  • 3 cups chopped onions
  • 1 red jalapeno, sliced
  • 1 green jalapeno, sliced
  • 2 dried Ancho chili peppers & 2 chipotle peppers, charred
  • tomato confit (4 tomatoes slow cooked in olive oil)
  • canned plum tomatoes (3-4 tomatoes + juice from the can; or, if you do not use tomato confit, use 8-9 of the tomatoes)
  • 1 qt water (and add more as needed)
  • 2 cups diced butternut squash
  • 2 cups diced macomber turnip

For the Lime Sour Cream

  • 2 limes, zest and juice
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 1 tsp salt

Garnish Suggestions

  • chopped scallions
  • grated cheddar cheese
  • cornbread
  • watermelon radish

How-to

Kidney Beans

  1. Drain dried kidney beans that have been soaked in water overnight
  2. Add drained kidney beans to a sauce pan
  3. Add  jalapeno cut in half, 2 crushed garlic cloves and 1 bay leaf
  4. Cover with water and simmer for 1 hour on low heat then strain (if using canned beans, just simmer for about 5 minutes to infuse the other ingredients)

Chili

  1. Put oil in a pan on high heat and brown the turkey. Season with salt
  2. Add 4-5 bay leaves, 4 cinnamon sticks, 1 tsp dried chili pepper or pepper flakes and 4 tbsp of the spice blend and stir all those flavors in
  3. Add 1 cup celery, 1 cup carrots, 3 cups onions, 1 sliced red jalapeno, 1 sliced green jalapeno
  4. Saute on medium heat for 10 minutes or until onions are translucent, stirring occasionally
    Add tomato confit, tomatoes and tomato juice. Crush tomatoes with spoon
  5. Add the water and simmer for ½ hour (you can cook it for up to 2 hours if you prefer)
  6. Hold Ancho and chipotle peppers over the stove flame and char them and add them to the chili
  7. Simmer chili another 10-15 minutes on low heat. Taste and add more salt if necessary
  8. Remove Ancho & chipotle peppers, chop and put back in the chili
  9. Remove garlic, jalapeno and bay leaf from beans and add to chili
  10. Add the diced butternut squash and diced macomber turnip until tender (about another 5 minutes)
  11. Serve with a dollop of Lime Sour Cream (recipe below) and other Garnish Suggestions (as listed in Ingredients section)


Lime Sour Cream

  1. In a bowl and zest and juice of two limes
  2. Mix in 2 cups sour cream
  3. Add salt to taste
  4. Put a dollop on top of each bowl of chili