Spiced Chocolate Chip Chilli

On the first Friday of each month enthusiastic cooks from around the country are united around a virtual dining table where they all prepare and cook a meal centered around a particular theme. This is known as the Irish Foodies Cookalong. November's theme was quite appropriately 'winter warmers' and with so many recipes to choose from the possibilities for me were endless. Eventually I decided to cook a good old Chilli- perfectly suitable for cold weather and has the ability to heat you up in more ways than one!

I had seeen Nigella adding some dark chocolate to her Chilli Con Carne and it looked delicious. I based this recipe on Nigella's version substituting kidney beans for chick peas. This was a good tip given to me by my friend Erika who found the latter was better received by kids!! I found the addition of Guinness really complements the spicy flavours quite well. As with most hearty stews this tastes even better the day after cooking and freezes well.

If like me you are currently housebound due to snow why not make a big pot of chilli, freeze it and enjoy a cook free day over the Christmas holidays!!

Spiced Chocolate Chip Chilli

Ingredients

150g chorizo

900g/ 2lbs shin of beef cut into three quarter inch cubes

2 large onions

3 cloves garlic

1 long red chilli, seeded

rapeseed oil/ olive oil

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 tbsp tomato puree

2 tbsp tomato ketchup

1x400g (14oz) tin chick peas

2x 400g (14oz) tin chopped tomatoes

1 tbsp sugar

25g dark chocolate chips

250mls Guinness

100mls water (swilled out in the chopped tomato cans)

Method

Preheat the oven to 150c/325F/gas 2.

1.Finely chop, or process the onion, garlic and chilli. Heat the oil in a large pan and fry this mixture until soft, add the cumin, coriander and cinnamon.
2. Stir the oniony-spiced mixture together and then add the sausages sliced into eighth-inch coins.
3. Drop in the cubes of beef turning them in the pan with the sausages to brown the meat.
4. Stir in the tomato puree, tomatoes, ketchup and drained chick peas.
5. Add the guinness and water and bring the chili to a boil, sprinkle over the chocolate and stir it all together. 6. Season with salt, pepper and sugar. Once simmering cover the pan with a lid.
6. Put the chilli in the oven and cook for 3 hours. Once cooked it is best left overnight as the flavour improves.

To serve
Creamy mashed potatoes or Basmati Rice
Grated Chedder cheese- sprinkle over before serving
Sour cream (to cool things down!) - a dollop on the side