The owner and chef of Voodoo Grill seemed a bit surprised to hear a Day reader had asked for one of their recipes.

Not because people don't love their food, but their humble reaction was more like “Who, us?”

They just work on making good food with Cajun flavors in Mystic.

It was also the simplicity of the recipe. The Voodoo Grill's crawfish and corn chowder was award-winning in 2005, but this particular request was for what is now called the Voodoo chicken chili.

Chef Tom Watts says a lot of people who don't eat beef like this cold weather staple, and it doesn't contain a lot of fat. The Voodoo Grill's only secret is that it uses its own hot sauce.

That recipe remains a secret, so readers will have to experiment with their favorite sauces to get it just right.

Voodoo Chicken Chili

Makes 1 gallon

½ stick butter

½ cup flour

4 tablespoon oil

1½ quarts chicken stock

3 tablespoon garlic

4 tablespoon hot sauce

½ large onion, diced

½ cup jalapenos, diced

4 tablespoon cumin

1½ pounds of chicken, diced

2 cans cooked pink beans, drained

Cheddar cheese

Yellow tortilla chips

Green scallions

Start by making a simple roux, melting butter in a pan over medium high heat and whisking in flour gradually. When mixture starts to bubble, reduce heat and let cool until it resembles a paste.

In a separate large sauce pot, heat the oil. Saute the onion until translucent. Add the garlic, chicken stock, cumin, hot sauce and jalapenos and bring to a boil. Add the beans and chicken, and let it come to a boil again. Thicken with the roux. Let sit a couple of hours before serving to allow flavors to set in.

Top with cheddar cheese, scallions and chips.

- RECIPE FROM VOODOO GRILL

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