Method

Boil 1L of water. Place shiitake mushrooms into a small bowl and pour boiling water over the mushrooms. Be sure the water completely covers the mushrooms. Let soak for 15 minutes.

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the chopped button mushrooms and cook until deeply browned, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes.

Once the shiitake mushrooms are hydrated, remove them from the water (reserve this liquid), and gently squeeze them to extract excess water. If your shiitake mushrooms have long, woody stems, cut off the rough part of the stems and discard. Coarsely chop the shiitake mushrooms and add to pot.

Add onion and peppers to the pot and continue cooking over medium heat until the vegetables are soft and begin to caramelize, about 10 minutes. Add garlic, bay leaf, and all the dry spices. Stir to combine and cook for a few minutes to infuse the spices. Add the tomatoes, ancho chile, reserved shiitake soaking liquid, and drip coffee. Bring the pot to a simmer, cover, and cook for 1.5 hours. Stir occasionally to prevent the bottom from scorching.

After 1.5 hours, the tomatoes should have cooked down, ancho chile melted into the sauce, and the chili should have thickened. Stir in the kidney beans and continue to cook for an additional 30 minutes.

Remove the pot from the heat and add the smoked mushroom garum and chocolate. Stir until the chocolate is completely melted and emulsifies into the chili, about 2-3 minutes. Season with salt, if needed. Spoon the chili in your favorite bowl and garnish with cilantro, scallions, crème fraîche, jalapeño, and grated cheese to your liking.