' If we’re watching tv before supper, it’s tuned to Food Network. Paula Deen recently did an episode called Country Comfort. Ari, being the budding Cooking Queen she is, wanted to try two of the recipes. Luckily, she made her request before I made the grocery list up, so we’re trying them this week. Saturday it was Paula’s Poblano Chicken Chowder. Tonight we’re having the Bacon Cheeseburger Meatloaf.
The chowder turned out really well, though a bit spicier than I wanted. Surprisingly, Matt liked it. He’s not a big fan of chowders, but I suspect it was the spice combination that made the difference. The recipe makes a huge amount – 12 to 16 servings. There’s no way we could eat all of that before getting sick of it, so I froze most of the left-overs. It freezes just fine, but when it thaws, it looks like the broth has separated out from the solids and cream. Don’t worry. Heat it over medium low to medium heat, stirring occasionally, and it turns out fine. There’s no problem with texture or taste, and of deterioration of the spice.
The recipe below is based on the Poblano Chicken Chowder, but with the changes I made.
Spicy Chicken Chowder
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 3 large carrots, diced small
- 2 large onions, diced small
- 5 stalks celery, diced small
- 1/8 cup minced garlic
- 2 poblano peppers, seeded and diced small
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin, or more to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme, or more to taste
- 1 tablespoon chicken bouillon granules
- 3 quarts unsalted chicken broth
- 1/2 bunch fresh cilantro leaves, minced
- 3 cups diced (large pieces) grilled chicken
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup heavy cream
Heat the oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add the carrots, onions, celery, garlic, poblano peppers, salt, white pepper, cumin, and thyme. Saute for 7 to 8 minutes, or until the vegetables begin to soften. Stir in the chicken bouillon. Add the chicken broth and cilantro, and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the carrots are tender. Stir in the chicken and cook, stirring frequently, until the chowder is thick and the chicken is heated through. Shortly before the chowder is done, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the flour and stir to combine. Cook, stirring frequently, for 3 to 4 minutes to cook the flour. Do not allow the mixture to brown! Ladle 1 cup of the hot liquid from the stockpot into the skillet, whisking constantly.
When the first cup of liquid is incorporated, add another 2 cups of liquid, 1 at a time. Pour the mixture in the skillet into the stockpot, whisking to blend. Cook, stirring frequently, for 3 to 5 minutes longer, or until the mixture begins to thicken. Remove the pot from the heat. Stir in the hot sauce, then the cream, and serve.
Note: It took me a lot longer to cook than the recipe called for. Supposedly, 30 minutes for prep, and 30 minutes cooking time. I don’t know if my old stovetop is that much less powerful than theirs, but it took 30 minutes to prep, but an entire hour to cook to get the carrots done. I suggest keeping that in mind if you decide to try this recipe.
