White Chicken Chili

I have quite given up on ever regularly contributing to my blog.  I'm far too inconsistent of a person, like a bottle rocket.  However, I had a thought this morning that made my food blog seem more practical, not an all or nothing proposition.  It's at least a very good place to put my recipes.  I can put them on my computer, but computers are updated every couple years and I generally lose some files in the process.  Also, it does take away the stress of imagining that I have to write to an audience.  I can just jot down a recipe the way I understand, which is usually as a concept and not a set list of measures and times.

My wife complains that I can never leave a recipe alone .  .  . and that's true.  Most recipes can be improved.  A while ago, my wife started making a white chicken chili recipe that was good, but mainly it was good because of all the garnish that she put on top, or what she called, 'fixins'.  Her recipe used canned beans and chicken breasts.  Canned beans are too salty, too mushy, and not a good value on the dollar.

Here's my version .  .  .

Beans

Any white beans will do, Great Northern, Navy, White Canellini.  I do this part first thing in the morning and then let the cooked beans sit in their cooking liquid in the fridge all day.  It's a pretty good step if you have time as it allows the bean broth to soak into the beans and the rest that doesn't develops a very nice viscosity.  

• 1 lb. dry beans (no presoaking required)
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 onion, peeled and halved
• 10 peppercorns
• pinch red pepper flakes
• dollop of chicken base

60 minutes pressure cooker, high pressure.  Turn off stove.  Allow the beans to sit in the fridge while most of their liquid continues to incorporate.  I don't like to have to waste any valuable bean broth.  Remove the bay leaves.  The onion will disintegrate into the beans.  At this point the beans could be made into anything.  Add chopped herbs and Parmesan for a side dish or you could add just chicken stock and blend into a simple soup.

The Rest .  .  . 

Pull the meat from one store-bought rotisserie chicken. You could also make this recipe with braised pork shoulder.  

***Optional:  Put all the chicken bones, fat, liquid from the store container in the pressure cooker. (If you're doing this step, you have to remove the beans and all their liquid to another container.) Pour 3 qts. of chicken stock/broth over the bones and bring up to high pressure for 20 minutes.  Pour through a strainer.***

Saute two onions and 4-5 large garlic cloves.  

Combine all elements. Add two cans of mild green chilies and one can of hot green chilies.  Add two teaspoons of Alton Brown Taco Potion No. 9 and fresh cracked black pepper. Bring back to high pressure for 20 minutes, but do NOT add the chicken meat in.  You should put that in at the last minute.  Also add more chicken base if needed before final cooking phase.  

Before adding chicken meat, use an immersion blender to blend about 1/3-1/2 of the beans to thicken the chili. (Yes, I know it's technically a chicken bean soup/stew.) Finally add all the chicken meat, taking care not to break it up into small pieces.  Add a full bunch of freshly chopped cilantro.  

Optional garnishes: (My wife's favorite part.)

• Corn chips (My preference is Fritos.)
• Sour cream (My preference is Mexican crema.)
• Grated Colby-Jack (You could also use Queso Fresco.)
• Diced avocado
• More fresh cilantro