Here’s a recipe to try the next time you're feeling fancy! To elevate things, we substitute lobster for ground beef and spiced this chili with coriander and fennel. If your looking for a twist on a classic, this is a must try!
Pair this chili with a full bodied chardonnay. An oak bomb from California would be my first choice. You'll need a wine with good depth and structure to keep up with this extremely flavourful dish.
East Coast Lobster Chili
Serves 6-8
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 ribs of celery, diced
1 bulb of fennel, diced
1 medium onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tbsp. chili powder
1 tbsp. toasted coriander seed
1 tbsp. toasted fennel seed
2 cups tomatoes, diced (fresh or canned)
2 tbsp. tomato paste
2 cups lobster or fish stock
2 cups canned white kidney beans, strained and rinsed
2 cups canned red kidney beans, strained and rinsed
2 cups cooked lobster meat, chopped
¼ cup butter
Salt and pepper to taste
Pour 3 tbsp. of olive oil into a large pot and place over medium heat.
Once at temperature, add in celery, fennel, onion, garlic and a pinch of salt.
Cook (while stirring) until the vegetables just begin to soften and become slightly translucent (this should take roughly 7-10 minutes).
Next, add in your spices and continue to cook for an additional 5 minutes. The idea here is to increase your aromatics by lightly toasting the spices.
Finally, mix through diced tomatoes, tomato paste, lobster stock and beans.
Turn your heat to low, cover with a lid, and simmer for 30-45 minutes.
Finish by folding through the cooked lobster and butter.
Season with salt and pepper.