The biggest events in the world of sports are often accompanied by great food. Among other things, I’ve made gumbo, finger food, and thrown together a pot of chili using no particular recipe. Chili is one of my favorite things to make because it’s easy to put together and, cooked low and slow, the longer you cook it the better is tastes. It’s also fun to make because the nuances of flavor you can get are subtle, deep, and unique. It’s no wonder that competitive chili cooks are so protective of their recipes.
After helping my friend Tim move a piano across state lines, his wife, Cami, treated us helpers to a terrific lunch of Swamp Club Chicken Chili. The recipe comes from the original owners of the Swamp Club, a restaurant/night club in the Cleveland suburb of Solon that enjoyed it’s biggest success in the 90′s. Over the years the same location was home to Eugene’s, Sapphire Grille, and Allure. The building is gone now, razed during development of new retail space, but this dish from the Swamp Club lives on.
Here are the ingredients:
- ¼ c olive oil
- 1 lrg onion, diced
- 6-8 large garlic cloves, minced
- 2 lbs ground white chicken, browned
- 2 tsp curry powder
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 4 TBLS chili powder
- ¼ c banana pepper, diced
- ½ tsp allspice
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 TBLS sugar
- 1 can condensed tomato soup
- 1 can water
- ½ c tomato paste
- 2 cans Del Monte petite diced tomatoes (28 oz. total)
- 2 cans pinto beans (1 can pureed in blender, 1 can whole)
- 1 box frozen corn
- 1 cup chives or scallions
- 2 lbs bow-tie pasta
Brown the ground chicken in the olive oil until it is no longer pink. Since the chicken contains very little fat, you may have to add little more oil. Eye-ball it and add additional oil sparingly. The chicken will not separate as well as ground beef does, so if you want a fine-grained texture to the meat, use a pastry cutter or a large fork to break the chicken into smaller pieces. Once browned, remove the chicken to a mixing bowl, leaving as much liquid as you can in the pan. Add the onion and a pinch of salt and sauté until soft, about five minutes. Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Return the chicken to the pot and add the remaining ingredients. Cook on low for at least two hours, stirring occasionally. Serve over bow-tie pasta and top with sour cream and shredded cheddar cheese.
Except for the pasta, I made this entirely in my 6 1/2 qt. Dutch oven. And since we were having friends over to watch part of the big game, I had to also keep the pasta fresh for a while. I did this by cooking it until it was slightly underdone, shaving 30 seconds to 1 minute off the recommended cooking time. I drained the pasta using a strainer and retained a few cups of the pasta water to put back into the original pot. Drizzled the cooked pasta with a little olive oil and tossed to coat to prevent the pasta from sticking. I then set the pasta-filled strainer on top of the original cooking pot, covered it, and set the heat to low so the water was just below a simmer. The small bit of steam from the heated water kept the pasta moist and warm without cooking it further. Just remember to keep checking the water so your pot doesn’t go dry.
What I like about this recipe is that it offers traditional chili flavors with a southwestern/Cincinnati chili influence. The textures offered by the main ingredients and the contrast of the pasta differentiate this chili from the norm. The heat is just right, noticeable, but not overpowering, and the coriander adds that little extra something that you can’t quite define but are glad to enjoy. And like most one-pot dishes, it was even better the next day.
Got a favorite chili recipe? I’d love to hear about it!
