Paul's famous, award-winning, Chicken Cashew Chocolate Chile

Ok, it's not really my recipe, but none of you thought that.  This is a longtime favorite of ours from Gourmet Magazine, from the well-worn Best of Gourmet 1997 book that we have two copies of.  On the other hand, I've never made it exactly like the recipe.  I have changed the recipe to use some whole cumin as well as ground cumin, and I usually add at least twice as much chocolate than the recipe calls for.   I also use boneless chicken breasts and thighs: shredding the meat is work enough; worrying about bones and skin, though one could argue it gives more flavor, doesn't seem worth it.  However, don't omit the dark meat. Using breast meat only in this chile would be a real shame.  

As given below, the chile won't be very spicy and won't have noticeable chocolate.  When I'm  making it, I actually use a third more ancho chiles than stated, maybe twice as much chile powder (though you really should do this to taste), and I double the chocolate.  By the way, you must you good quality bittersweet or semisweet chocolate for this.  Don't use milk chocolate, whatever you do.

As described, this is a meal that SERVES TWO, with leftovers, or serves four with more modest servings.  But I usually triple or quadruple the recipe because, like all good chiles, it gets better overnight, and this chile makes leftovers I could eat for a week straight.

INGREDIENTS:

For chili purée:

• 2 dried ancho chilies
  
• 1/4 cup cashews, raw or roasted
  
• 1 cup chicken broth
  

For the rest:

• 1 1/2 pounds boneless chicken, breasts and thighs, rinsed and dried with paper towel
  
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
  
• 1 large onion, chopped coarse
  
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped fine
  
• 1/2 tablespoon whole cumin
  
• 1/2 tablespoon ground cumin
  
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
  
• 1 teaspoon salt
  
• 3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
  
• a 14 1/2-ounce can diced tomatoes with juice
  
• 1/2 cup cashews, raw or roasted
  
• 1/2 ounce fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened) or semisweet chocolate
  
• a 14 1/2-ounce can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
  

For garnish:  

• bittersweet (or semisweet) chocolate chips
• chopped cilantro
• chopped onion

DIRECTIONS:

Make chili purée: Heat a small heavy skillet over moderate heat until hot and toast chilies, pressing down with tongs, about 30 seconds on each side to make more pliable. Seed and devein chilies. (Wear gloves or beware wiping your eyes, etc., after handling the chiles).  In a blender, purée chilies with cashews and broth until smooth.

In a large heavy saucepan, heat olive oil over moderate heat until hot but not smoking, add whole cumin and cook onion and garlic, stirring, until softened. Add ground cumin, chili powder, and salt and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add chicken and stir to coat with onion mixture. Stir in chili purée, 2 tablespoons cilantro, and tomatoes with juice and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally to avoid sticking, 45 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.

Remove pan from heat and transfer chicken to a bowl. With 2 forks, shred the chicken. Return chicken to pan and stir in cashews, remaining tablespoon coriander, chocolate, and beans. Cook chili over moderate heat, stirring, until heated through and chocolate is melted. 

We like to garnish with a little extra chopped onion, chopped cilantro, and bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chips.  The chocolate chips are really interesting flavor notes as they're just melting in the hot chili.

Chili may be made 2 days ahead and cooled completely, uncovered, before being chilled, covered.  Read: "makes awesome leftovers; make more than you can eat and enjoy the leftovers!" It would probably freeze and keep well.

Wine Notes

I think beer might be better: Guinness or another stout or porter would be great.  Otherwise, a nice earthy syrah would be pretty good, too.  Something like Montes Alpha syrah would be a good match.