Recipe: Coast's Restaurant Turkey Chili

COAST'S RESTAURANT TURKEY CHILI

Note: Adapted from Coast at Shutters on the Beach in Santa Monica.

Garnish the chili as desired with shredded cheese, avocado, tortilla chips, sliced green onion, cilantro.

1 dried guajillo pepper
1/2 cup boiling water
1 chipotle pepper (canned and packed in adobo sauce)
2 cans (28 ounces each) whole tomatoes
4 teaspoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon oil
1 pound ground turkey
1 1/2 cups diced onion
1 poblano chile, roasted, peeled and finely diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon chile powder
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 1/2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 small bay leaf
1 cup condensed cream of tomato soup
Salt
3 (15-ounce) cans kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 (15-ounce) cans pink (or pinto or cranberry beans), drained and rinsed
Pepper
GARNISHES, OPTIONAL:
Garnish the chili as desired with shredded cheese, avocado, tortilla chips, sliced green onion, cilantro.

In a dry skillet heated over high heat, toast the guajillo chile on both sides until darkened and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and place the chile in a small bowl. Pour over the boiling water and keep the chile submerged until it rehydrates and is softened, 10 to 15 minutes.

Pour the chile and water into a blender, along with the chipotle pepper, canned whole tomatoes and tomato paste. Puree the mixture (this might need to be done in 2 batches). Set the pureed chiles and tomatoes aside.

In a 6-quart heavy-bottom pot or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the turkey and cook, stirring frequently, until the turkey is fully cooked, about 10 minutes. Remove the turkey and set aside. Drain the fat, leaving about 1 tablespoon in the pan (the rest can be discarded).

To the same pan, stir in the diced onion and poblano chile, and cook until the onion is translucent, 6 to 8 minutes, stirring frequently.

Stir in the garlic and continue to cook until the garlic is aromatic, about 1 minute.

Stir in the chile powder, red pepper flakes, paprika, cayenne, garlic and onion powders and bay leaf. Continue to stir until the spices are aromatic, about 1 minute.

Stir in the (undiluted) tomato soup, scraping the bottom of the pan to dislodge any flavoring. Stir the ground turkey back in, then stir in the pureed tomato and chile mixture. Season with 1 teaspoon salt. Cook the chili at a very low simmer for about 2 hours to develop and marry the flavors. About 20 minutes before the chili is done, stir in the kidney and pink beans to warm through. Taste and adjust the seasonings and flavorings as desired.

Garnish the chili as desired with shredded cheese, avocado, tortilla chips, sliced green onion, cilantro.

Makes 12 servings
Source: Los Angeles Times, Jan 27, 2011