Tag: chili
A Chili Change-Up….Try Seafood Chili
by Capt. Tommy Thompson on Oct.29, 2017, under Recipes and Food
Out there in “food land” there’s an ongoing debate: “Should chili have beans?” With or without, I think there are arguments for either recipe. Chili on a cold winter day should have beans. Chili on hot dogs should not. But how about meat? Having vegetarians at your table is a good reason to consider meatless, so why not a compromise—with shellfish? And beans.
While cooking everyday chili can be easy (from a can or from the Publix deli), really good homemade chili takes some time and energy. That’s especially true if you are using it as the basis for a delicious seafood meal. Seafood, wild-caught or store-bought isn’t cheap so why not pair it with your best culinary effort?
This 4-step recipe involves making your own chili stock from several varieties of dried peppers, adding some spices and vegetables and then finishing with a medley of fresh shrimp, scallops and mussels.
Chili Stock
4 cups vegetable stock
3 dried chipotle chilies
5 dried New Mexico (Hatch) chilies
3 dried ancho chiles
1 clove garlic, whole2
2 cups water
Carefully, with rubber gloves, remove the stems and seeds from the chilies. Add, with the garlic, to the water and vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Remove from heat; let cool about a half-hour. Then blend to a smooth consistency.
Spice Blend
1/2 tbs. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. ground coriander
½ tsp. mustard powder
pinch ground clove
pinch ground cinnamon
Mix the spices thoroughly.
Vegetables
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 6-ounce can tomato paste
1 15-ounce can, red beans (drained)
1 onion
1 bell pepper
2 cloves garlic
2 cups corn kernels
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
Dice the onion , bell pepper and mince the garlic. In a large pot, with the olive oil, cook the onion, bell pepper and garlic until transparent. Add the spices and tomato paste, stir and cook another 3 or 4 minutes. Dump in the chili stock and the can of tomatoes, with their juice. Then add the corn and beans and bring to a low simmer.
Seafood
2 pounds mussels
1 pound medium-to-large shrimp
1 pound bay scallops
1 cup white wine
Peel and devein the shrimp and remove any beards from the mussels. Put the mussels in a pan with the wine, cover and bring to a boil. Add the shrimp and scallops to the simmering chili and when the mussels are open, add them, with the wine. Cook about 4 more minutes or until the shrimp and scallops are done.
Add salt to taste and serve with chips or a corn muffin.