Chilli
I cook quite a bit, and one of the best things I cook is a Chilli. It's been quite a success with various friends and family members asking for the recepie - so here goes.

Serves a fair few

Ingrediants
300g mince (substitute quorn mince if you're vegetarian)
2 decently spicy chillis (seeds left in)
3 cloves garlic
about half an inch of grated ginger root
1 Large orange or red pepper
Teaspoon tomato puree
Tin of kidney beans
Tin of chopped tomatoes
About half a pint/2-3rds of dark ale (hobgoblin works well)
About half a bar of dark chocolate (Bornville or whatever)

Chop all the garlic chillis and ginger and cook in oil at a decent heat untill they start to go a tiny bit soft. THen add the mince. Continue to cook till browned.

Add some tomato puree at this stage and just a bit of the beer (soaks up into the mince nicely). Continue to reduce till it's nearly dry and add the red pepper.

Add the kidney beans and tin of tomatoes. At this point add some more tomato puree and any seasoning you want (Paprica works well to give it a smoked flavour - corriander if you want a slightly sharper flavour)

Add the chocolate after it's been cooking for a bit, then leave to simmer and reduce for quite a while (Can be up to 40 min). Add beer periodicaly and then eat!

This works well with rice, in potatoes and in wrap things. It actualy tastes better if it's reheated - so you can double the quantities and freeze some.

Enjoy!
(Fredz A graveyard of hopes, a dump of ambition, Fri 29 Jun 2012, 12:41, 2 replies)

Try adding a teaspoon
of ground cumin, most chillis have that in it.

And chocolate? really? Sounds horrible, but if you say so . . .
(username failed moderation, Fri 29 Jun 2012, 13:34, closed)

Oh yes,
the chocolate really works. I think the best thing about a chili is that everyone has a different way of making it. I tend towards the thicker, less tomato-ey but more cinnamonny kind. My best friend, on the other hand, makes a very hot, red and saucy chili. One day we will combine recipes and the world will weep.

And the second best thing about a chili is day 2, when you have it in a jacket potato.
( Pretender, Fri 29 Jun 2012, 14:03, closed)