Austin-Style Chicken Chili

Ingredients

• 24 ounce porter beer (I like Great Lakes Edmund Fitzgerald)
• 2 tablespoons cayenne pepper 
• 1  habanero chile pepper 
• 7 ounce chipotle chiles in adobo sauce pureed canned
• 1 tablespoon coriander seeds 
• 0.3 cup cumin seeds 
• 3 cloves garlic sliced
• 3 pounds ground chicken 
• 8 servings kosher salt 
• 2 tablespoons olive oil extra-virgin
• 1 large onion chopped
• 2  bell peppers diced red
• 1 tablespoon paprika smoked
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste 

Equipment

• bowl
• frying pan
• pot
• wooden spoon
• slotted spoon
• dutch oven

Directions

1. Toast the cumin and coriander seeds in a skillet over medium heat.
2. Transfer to a bowl to cool, then grind in a spice grinder.
3. Heat a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon olive oil.
4. Add half of the ground chicken and season with salt; cook, stirring, until the meat is browned, about 6 minutes.
5. Transfer the chicken to a plate using a slotted spoon. Repeat with the remaining olive oil and chicken; transfer to the plate.
6. Add the onion, garlic and bell peppers to the pot; season with salt and cook, stirring, until aromatic but not caramelized, 3 to 5 minutes.
7. Add the ground cumin and coriander, the cayenne and paprika; cook 30 seconds. Stir in the tomato paste and cook 30 more seconds.
8. Deglaze the pot with the beer, using a wooden spoon to scrape the bottom of the pot. Return the chicken to the pot and stir to incorporate. Stir in the pureed chipotle chiles and 2 cups water.
9. Cut a slit in one side of the habanero and add it to the pot. Reduce the heat to low, partially cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, 2 hours. (
10. Add more water if the chili is too thick.)
11. Remove the habanero before serving.
12. Photograph by Charles Masters