To wonder whether I should really put chocolate in chilli con carne?!

[Prettybubblesintheair]

I’m doing a slow cooker chilli today, found a bbc recipe but it calls for 4 squares of dark chocolate! Does anyone else do this? A couple of years ago I made a stove stop chilli and added one square of dark chocolate but DH and I found it weirdly sweet. Is it different in the slow cooker?

I put cocoa powder in

I don't bother anymore.

I use cumin, cinnamon, chilli flakes, Bovril, cocoa powder, balsamic vinegar and tomato paste

Always put dark chocolate in or cocoa powder, makes a big difference

Thanks everyone. Unfortunately it was still very runny! Tasted lovely but will try a different recipe next time. Has anyone got any good ones?

I always do. Makes it rich and flavoursome. Not sweet at all. 70% or higher though. I add it to the slow cooker at the end, and then turn it off and leave it be for ten mins. Give it a good stir and serve. I also use cannellini beans instead of red kidney beans.

@Prettybubblesintheair

Thanks everyone. Unfortunately it was still very runny! Tasted lovely but will try a different recipe next time. Has anyone got any good ones?

Slow cooker recipes need waaaaay less liquid adding to them than a stovetop recipe, otherwise they'll always be runny - as the lid is on the whole cooking time, there's nowhere for the liquid to evaporate to.

I have one of the slow cookers where you can put the pot onto the stovetop as well, so if something turns out to runny I can whack it on the hob with the lid off for a bit to reduce down.

I tried it. I didn't like it.

I’ve tried it, but didn’t like it. Though I’m weird, I add a generous helping of gravy granules and HP Sauce to mine!

Might try again with cocoa powder to see what that’s like.

@Prettybubblesintheair

Thanks everyone. Unfortunately it was still very runny! Tasted lovely but will try a different recipe next time. Has anyone got any good ones?

I’ve always struggled with slow cooker recipe books - I’ll maybe find one or two in a book that are “ok”, but the rest don’t appeal to me.

Last year I got The Slow Cook Book by Heather Whinney which I really like. An added bonus is that each recipe gives the instructions for doing in the slow cooker or conventional method on hob/in oven (and adjusts the ingredient measurements for both - ie less liquid for slow cooker).

Urgh, slow cooker Chilli is gross - you want to simmer for 2 hours on a stove top (lid off) for a really deep flavor.

Honesty, the meljoulwan.com chocolate Chilli recipe I posted down the thread is the best one out there (contains no Chilli beans though but you can chuck those in half hour before done).

Long slow simmer and it's divine! Very easy as well!

Here it is..

meljoulwan.com/2009/02/22/my-favorite-chili-recipe/

Urgh, slow cooker Chilli is gross

Why?

@Prettybubblesintheair

Thanks everyone. Unfortunately it was still very runny! Tasted lovely but will try a different recipe next time. Has anyone got any good ones?

Felicity Cloake's works for me

www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/wordofmouth/2011/may/12/cook-perfect-chilli-con-carne

I like her series because she compares different ingredients and methods and explains her reasoning - v useful.

I found If the meat isn't browned first it tends to be sloppy and tasteless. Simmering and reducing the liquid with the lid off gives the meat a chance to absorb the flavor.

I do! It’s great.

Dark chocolate or half a teaspoon of cocoa powder (not hit chocolate powder).