Instructions: In a large saucepan, cover beans with cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat, boil briskly 5 minutes, then remove from heat and let soak 1 hour. Drain and rinse under cold running water. Set beans aside. In saucepan, heat oil over medium heat. Add chiles, garlic and onion and saute until onion is transparent, 2 to 3 minutes. Add chicken and saute until lightly browned, stirring with wooden spoon to coarsely break up meat, 5 to 7 minutes. Add drained beans, broth, tomatillos, oregano, basil, thyme, salt, pepper and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered, until beans are fairly tender, about 1 hour. Remove cover and spoon out about 1/4 cup of beans; mash them with a spoon and stir back into pan. Continue simmering until chili is thick, about 30 minutes more. Discard bay leaf. Garnish with cilantro.

Makes 8 to 10 servings.

NOTES : Apart from its delicious flavor of chicken breast, white beans and mild fresh green chiles, the surprising thing about this dish is its pleasingly pale, white-on-white color. Great Northern beans are probably the most widely available variety of dried white beans in supermarkets; but you can substitute any other white variety you like. Already-ground chicken breast meat has become increasingly available in meat departments; if you dont see it, ask the butcher to grind up some for you, or buy boneless skinless chicken breasts and grind them yourself in a food processor.

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