Thursday, April 27, 2006

Turkey Chile by Mrs. Yi: Perfection of the Genre


Turkey chile? Doesn't that seem a bit mainstream for this site? But then, Mrs. Yi isn't entirely mainstream. Nor is this recipe. It definitely makes the best turkey chile I've ever tasted or could imagine. Mrs. Yi got started about twelve years ago with a recipe out of a book or the newspaper. Ever since, she's been fixing something similar every several months, always tweaking and making changes, usually with improved results. Her most recent version is the best yet. I would call it perfection. Here it is:

TURKEY CHILE

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large vidalia onion, medium dice
2 stalks celery, medium dice
1 large green pepper, medium dice
3 shallots, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 pound white meat turkey breast, ground
1 28 oz. can tomatillos, strained
2 4 1/2 oz. can chopped green chiles, not strained
2 chipotle peppers in adobo, mixed with 1/4 cup water and pureed
salt and pepper to taste
1 teaspoon cumin
2 15 oz. cans chicken broth
2 15 oz. cans pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
2 tablespoons cornmeal

GARNISH

Sliced Avocado
chopped red onion
chopped radishes
fried tortilla chips
lime wedges

In a large dutch oven, saute the onion, green pepper, celery, shallots, and garlic over low heat. Add turkey, breaking into small clumps. Saute until cooked through. Then add the tomatillos, chicken broth, chopped green chiles, pureed chipotles, and cumin. Cook for 1 hour at a low simmer. Add the pinto beans and cook for 1/2 hour. Add the cilantro and corn meal and cook ten minutes more. Garnish when served.
Serves 6