recipe confidential

Although I DO love Anthony Bourdain, he's not the subject of this post.  What is--is the amazing dish in the background.  On a recent business trip to Seattle I was able to spend my long layover in Vino Volo, a wine bar/bistro that makes airline travel actually worth the hassle.  Here, I tasted two things that in the past month I've been unable to forget:  Chickpea and Chorizo Chili, with a Tutto Rosso by Brian Carter Cellars.


The 30-plus days that followed have been spent combing the interwebz for the elusive chili recipe, which is really more of a moroccan-inspired stew.  I've found countless other blogposts and reviews singing its praises (Vino Volo can be found in several major airports nationwide), but no recipe.  That's when it became clear I'd need to replicate it on my own.  I found a similar-flavored creation on someone else's foodie/travel blog and modified it best I could.  What follows is the end result--and one that did not disappoint, if I do say so myself.

CHICKPEA AND CHORIZO CHILI

• 1 red onion finely diced
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 carrots, chopped
• olive oil for cooking
• 1 tbsp of Moroccan harissa paste (buy prepared, or make ahead by combining 2 tsp smoked paprika, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp cayenne, 1 tsp ground coriander, 1 tsp salt and 1 tbsp olive oil and blending to a paste)
• 1 tsp fresh minced ginger
• 2 cans diced tomatoes (no salt added)
• 1 cup canned tomato puree
• 2 cups of chicken stock
• 2 cans of rinsed chickpeas
• 3-4 chorizo sausages
• juice of 1/2 lemon
• salt, freshly-ground pepper
• cilantro to garnish

1. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a stockpot over medium heat.  Add the carrot, garlic and onion and saute until the mixture becomes translucent.
2. Add the chorizo with the casings removed, breaking it up into smaller bits with a wooden spoon.
3. Add the harissa paste and ginger and stir for 5 minutes until aromatic
4. Add the diced tomatoes, tomato puree, and chicken stock. Season with a LITTLE salt and freshly ground pepper.  (the chorizo is already quite salty)
5. Allow the mixture to come to the boil and then set it on a low heat.
6. Let it simmer for at least 1.5 hours, allowing the liquid to reduce.
7. Add the chickpeas in the mixture. Allow them to cook and heat through about 15-30 minutes.
8. Before serving, stir in the juice of half a lemon.  Spoon into bowls and garnish with chopped cilantro.  Serve with crusty bread.

The finished product:

Although the recipe was almost spot-on, it will take another trip back to Vino Volo (oh, darn!) to compare my results with the original.  I wasn't so lucky on the Brian Carter Cellars sangiovese blend however, which it turns out does not have distribution outside Washington state.  The wine rep at Whole Foods swore she'd try to order some, so we'll see.  In the meantime I'll be looking to all my Seattle buddies (you know who you are!) to bring some back from their next visit.

Enjoy!