Jalapeño Chicken White Chili

This isn’t your standard brothy white chili. It’s built on a proper roux and a pour of cream, giving the whole pot a thick, velvety body closer to a chowder than a thin stew.

Heat comes in two waves. Fresh jalapenos get sauteed early with the chicken for a bright, clean burn, then pickled jalapenos and a little of their brine go in near the end for a tangy, vinegary kick that builds as it sits.

The chicken breast is cooked just until done and pulled from the pan before the sauce comes together, so it stays tender instead of turning rubbery during the simmer. It rejoins the pot along with corn and great northern beans.

Ginger, sage, and cumin are the quiet aromatics that keep it from tasting flat. Finish each bowl with grated Monterey Jack that melts into the hot chili, and serve with cornbread to mop it up.

Chef Tips

• Whisk the flour into the bubbling butter, then stream in the cream while whisking to keep the roux lump-free.
• Pull the chicken the moment it’s cooked through; it finishes warming in the simmering sauce.
• Seed the fresh jalapenos for milder heat, or add the pickled ones and their brine to taste at the end.

Variations

• Use rotisserie or leftover chicken; add it with the beans and corn just to warm through.
• Stir in a can of diced green chiles for deeper roasted-pepper flavor.
• Top with avocado, a squeeze of lime, cilantro, or crushed tortilla chips.