Southwestern Chicken & Black Bean Stew

I made this last night and it was really tasty. I used chicken breasts instead of thighs and added a can of corn for additional flavour & texture. In lieu of the chipotle pepper, which I forgot to purchase, I used chipotle chili powder instead. Also, I didn't have beer on hand so I simply used chicken stock.

Southwestern Chicken & Black Bean Stew

2 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil

3 thick slices bacon

6 bone-in, skinless chicken thighs (about 2 1/4lb), trimmed of large pieces of fat

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 large yellow onion, diced

1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and finely diced

2 tsp. chili powder

1 tsp. ground cumin

3/4 cup beer

1 15 1/2 oz. can black beans, rinsed (about 2 cups)

1 dried chipotle (optional)

2 cups homemade or low-salt chicken broth; more if needed

1 lime

3 Tbs. chopped fresh cilantro leaves

*Sour cream, salsa, cheddar & avocado for garnish (optional)

Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook until it renders much of its fat and crisps slightly, about 7 minutes. Transfer the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels.

Season the chicken well with salt and pepper. Add half the thighs to the pan and brown them well on both sides, 2 -3 minutes per side. Transfer to a different plate. Brown the remaining thighs and reserve with the rest.

*I did this same step with sliced chicken breast.

There should be 2-3 Tbs. fat left in the pan; if there's more, spoon out and discard the excess. Add the onion and bell pepper, season well with salt, and cook, stirring often, until the onion softens and caramelizes slightly, about 7 minutes. Raise the heat to high, add the chili powder and cumin, and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add the beer and cook until it's almost completely reduced, about 3 minutes. Add the beans, the chipotle (if using), and the chicken broth. When the mixture comes to a boil, adjust the heat to maintain a simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Transfer 2 cups of the beans and broth (but not the chipotle) to a blender, puree, and then mix back into the rest of the broth.

*This is when I added in the can of corn.

Return the thighs to the pot, cover with the lid slightly ajar, and simmer until the chicken is cooked through (check by slicing through the bottom of one of the thighs to the bone), about 30 minutes. If the stew is too thick, thin it with more chicken broth. Discard the chipotle. Crumble the reserved bacon. Juice one half of the lime; cut the other half into wedges. Stir the bacon, lime juice and 2 Tbs. of the cilantro into the stew and season well with salt and pepper.

Serve immediately, ladling some of the beans and chicken into each bowl. Sprinkle each serving with the remaining cilantro and a small dollop of sour cream, salsa, cheddar and avocado (optional). Serve with the lime wedges.

*Southwestern Chicken & Black Bean Stew, Tony Rosenfeld, FC #56, Scott Phillips