By Kipp Rix
There are few things that are as synonymous with the Southwest as green chile, and no that green bulbous bell pepper does not count. Some of the best green chile originates in the small New Mexico town of Hatch; in fact, around our parts, the word Hatch is synonymous with green chile. Other well-known varieties available include Anaheim and California. These chiles were brought from New Mexico in the 1900s to California and were bred to be more mild to suit the taste of Californians. Poblano chiles are a dark green chile and have a heat index just a little hotter than the California. If you are using these chiles fresh from the market, you will need to roast and skin them for use. Place the chiles a couple at a time directly on the flame of the gas burner of your stovetop; continuously turn the chiles and allow the skin to blister and char black. Once the skins are well charred, toss them into a heavy paper bag and allow the chiles to steam as you roast the remaining chile pods. After the pods have steamed in the paper bag for 5-10 minutes, dump them into a sink of cool water; you then can pull or rub the skins off; small pieces of remaining skin will not hurt anything. Cut the stem portion off the chile, and they are ready to use. Seeds and veins can be removed, making the chile milder, as that is where the heat in the chile comes from. In larger or ethnic grocery stores, you can find tubs of frozen diced green chile. Just be aware that usually ½ the volume of the tub will be frozen water, so purchase more than you think you will need. Good thing is there is no such thing as too much green chile when cooking. Though you can survive on frozen green chile, there is no comparison to the flavor of fresh roasted green chile. If you cannot locate green chile in your area or you want authentic Hatch Green Chile, you can check out Chile Monster, which will sell and ship to most any location.
Green chile chicken stew has always been a deep-seated comfort food in the Southwest. The addition of bacon to this old standby only deepens the flavors, making the dish heartier. After a day working out in the snow and cold, there are few meals that will bring a smile to the fire crew or your family like this dish. You can make the green chile sauce from scratch, and I’ll send you the recipe if you contact me, but for this version I use a canned green enchilada sauce, making the dish a little more station friendly. Another option is to do all the browning and cooking of the meats and potato in a pot as directed but then adding the whole mixture to a slow cooker and allowing it to do its own thing all day if you will not be around to watch a pot on the stove. Other versions of this recipe include the addition of corn, fine diced carrots, and celery to the stew. You might consider them, but I’m not a big fan of them. For sides, I serve this stew with either quesadillas (grilled cheese using corn tortillas rather than bread) or garlic herb bread.
Shopping List
Serves 6
1 pound black pepper bacon (cut slices into 3/8-inch pieces)
1 pound chicken breast meat cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1 tablespoon bacon drippings
2 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons granulated garlic
¼ cup dried minced onion
2 cups fire-roasted diced green chili
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 cups Green Enchilada Sauce
3 cups chicken stock
2 cups potatoes cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 tablespoon Mrs. Dash Citrus Blend seasoning
Cooking Directions
1. In a large stock pot, cook the bacon pieces until well browned.
2. Remove bacon to drain on paper towel.
3. Add the chicken pieces to the bacon drippings and cook until just browned; chicken will not be cooked through.
4. Remove chicken from the pan and set aside to drain with bacon.
5. Remove all but 1 tablespoon of the bacon drippings from the pot; add the flour, garlic, and onion to the pot; and combine to make a roux.
6. Add the diced chili and cumin to the pot and stir to combine.
7. Add the green chili sauce and the chicken stock; stir well to combine and bring the mixture to a boil.
8. Add the potatoes to the pot, reduce heat, and allow stew to simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally so stew does not burn or stick to the pot.
9. Add Mrs. Dash seasoning and continue to cook until the sauce thickens and the potatoes are tender.
Kipp Rix has been in the fire service for 18 years working as both a career and volunteer firefighter in New Mexico. Kipp started cooking at the age of 10 and learned his early skills watching shows like the Galloping Gourmet and Julia Child. Throughout the years, Kipp refined his skills with a focus on grilling foods with a southwestern flair. In 2009 Fire House Publications, LLC released the first of Kipp’s two cook books with the second book released in 2011; a portion of the proceeds from the books helps fund donations towards teaching fire fighters Firefighter Survival “Getting Out Alive”. Kipp’s philosophy of fire house cooking is “Just because you work in a busy house does not mean that you have to settle for ordinary cooking, a crew’s attitude is directly related to the meals served!” Each of Kipp’s recipes has been Fire House tested and approved. Please email krix@fhpllc.net with a crew picture enjoying this recipe along with your review; each month one entry will be selected to receive a signed copy of one of my cook books. In 2012 Kipp produced his premier episode of his cooking show, Fire House Cuisine, on the Fire Engineering network.
