Pigeon Cottage Kitchen

I often make chilli once the weather chills down, usually I serve it with rice or flatbreads. This time, I made a cornbread crust and baked it on top of the chilli; it’s a bit like a cornbread cobbler. It makes such a great sharing dish with a bottle of tabasco or hot sauce and some guacamole, sour cream and grated cheese on the side. Apologies for the dark photo, we were so excited about eating it, I almost forgot to take one!

For the chilli

• A large casserole dish with a lid
• 1 kg of minced beef
• 1 x 400g tin of chopped tomatoes
• 1 x 400g tin of red kidney beans and 1 x 400g tin of black beans, drained and rinsed. You can use dried beans if you soak them overnight in cold water and boil rapidly for 10 minutes before using them to cook with. This removes toxins in the beans that can make you feel ill otherwise.
• 2 tablespoons of tomato purée
• 1 tablespoon of light olive oil
• 1 tablespoon of ground cumin
• 2 bay leaves
• 500ml beef stock
• 1 fresh green chilli deseeded and chopped, a quarter of a teaspoon of dried red chilli flakes and a teaspoon of cayenne pepper – add more or less depending on how hot you like it. I now use a teaspoon of a new ingredient as well – Turkish Urfa Biber chilli flakes (you can buy them online with amazon) – they impart a smoky raisin-like flavour that’s really delicious. 
• 2 onions, finely chopped
• 2 fat cloves of garlic
• 1 square of Green & Black’s quality 80% dark chocolate, it adds a lovely depth of flavour and gloss to the final result
• Sea salt and a generous teaspoon of freshly milled black pepper

The cornbread crust

• 250g polenta/cornmeal
• 250g spelt flour
• 2 1/2tsp baking powder
• 1/4tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1/2tsp sea salt
• 1/4tsp black pepper
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 3 eggs, lightly beaten
• 250ml buttermilk
• 1 tsp runny honey
• 25g melted butter
• A handful of grated Cheddar cheese

To make…

• Preheat the oven to 160°C.
• Finely chop the onions and garlic.
• Heat the ovenproof casserole on the hob and add the minced beef. Stir until nicely browned, turn it out into a separate bowl.
• Add the oil and heat a little. Next, add the onion and garlic and cook gently for about 5 minutes until softened.
• Put the minced beef back into the pot and then add the ground cumin and bay leaves. Stir for a minute or so. Add the tinned tomatoes, tomato purée, chilli, sea salt, pepper and the beef stock.
• Stir and bring to a simmer gently. Put the lid on to your casserole and leave the chilli in the oven on the middle shelf for a couple of hours. The sauce should become thick and reduced. It is much nicer finished in the oven than on the hob.
• After 2 hours, Remove from the hob or oven, check and adjust the seasoning to taste.
• Add the beans and place it on a low heat on the hob to warm them through. Stir in the chocolate to add gloss and added flavour. Cover until you’re ready to serve. It needs to be hot when you add the cornbread topping.
• Turn the oven up to 220°C and start making the cornbread crust – you could get the dry ingredients and the wet ingredients ready separately ahead of time and then mix them quickly when you’re ready to cook.
• Weigh out the dry ingredients and mix them in a large bowl i.e. the polenta, flour, baking powder, cumin seeds, salt, pepper and bicarb. Make a well in the centre.
• In a separate jug or bowl, mix together the eggs, honey, buttermilk and melted butter. Pour the liquid into the well and mix together into a thick batter. Work quickly as the liquid activates the raising agents.
• Spoon the batter evenly over the top of the chilli, scatter with the grated cheese and get it straight into the hot oven.
• Bake for 20 to 25 minutes. It will rise slightly and needs to be golden on the top and spring back when touched with the tips of your fingers.
• Bring it to the table and cut the cornbread into 8 pieces so it’s easy to serve.

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