Avocado Chicken Chile de Arbol
De Arbol (Capsicum Annuum) means tree like in Spanish. The plant has thick, upright, woody stems and the chile itself is narrow, curved and bright red in color. Believed to be closely related to the pequin, the De Arbol is thin fleshed, with tannic, smoky, grassy flavor and searing heat. This chile has a heat range of 7.5 on the heat scale of 1-10. De Arbol Chiles are comparable to a Cayenne Pepper. Scoville heat units 15,000 to 30,000.
Suggested Use:
De Arbol is a hot chile and a staple in Southwest kitchens. Add some heat to your next salsa or Mexican dish. Be adventurous and add them to your next stew or chili along with the other spices. Add some heat to your next salsa or Mexican dish.
Ingredients:
4 dried Chile de Arbol
Vegetable oil for sauteeing
1 1/2 lbs. chicken breasts, boneless and skinless
1 onion, cut into 1-inch strips
3 cloves garlic, minced
Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper
2 cans Cannellini beans, with juices
4 cups chicken broth
3/4 cup corn
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp oregano
2 avocados
1 1/2 cup diced tomatoes
1 Tbsp fresh squeezed lime juice, plus more for serving
Shredded cheese, sour cream, and tortilla chips for serving
Instructions:
Remove the stems and seeds from chile pods. In a dry skillet over low heat, toast the chiles for about five minutes. Remove from heat and transfer to a small bowl. Cover with boiling water and set aside.
Rough chop the chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces.
In a large soup pot or heavy-bottomed sauce pan, add 3 Tbsp vegetable oil, diced onion, pepper, garlic, and chicken. Season with salt and pepper. Saute until chicken is cooked and vegetables are tender.
Drain and mince the chile pods and add them to the chili. Add bean, chicken broth, corn, and spices. Season with more salt and pepper and simmer for 30 minutes.
Puree the avocados in a food processor with about 1/2 cup chicken broth from the chili. Puree until smooth.
Add to chili along with the diced tomatoes and lime juice. Bring back to a simmer, and mix well to incorporate the avocado. Remove from heat and serve.
From Reeni of Cinnamon, Spice & Everything Nice.