This Caribbean classic is famous for its signature blend of aromatic herbs and spices. Ingredients for it vary from family to family but the stew typically involves marinating chicken pieces in spices and vegetables, then pan-searing it and stewing it in water or broth until it’s falling-off-the-bone tender. Depth of flavor and a touch of sweetness comes from molasses, brown sugar or browning sauce; in this version I use all three to help build the complexity of the dark brown gravy that’s a hallmark of the dish. Although the stew is often made with bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces I opted for just flavorful chicken thighs with the skin removed: They brown evenly and quickly in the pan and cook up particularly juicy for an unforgettable dish.
| Level: | Intermediate |
| Total: | 1 hr 20 min |
| Active: | 50 min |
| Yield: | 5 serving |
Ingredients
- 5 bone-in chicken thighs, skin removed (about 2 1/2 pounds)
- 2 teaspoons granulated onion
- 2 teaspoons granulated garlic
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon powder, such as Knorr, optional
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1 small green bell pepper, diced
- 1 small orange bell pepper, diced
- 1/4 cup fresh minced ginger
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 scallions, sliced
- 1 Scotch bonnet pepper or habanero pepper, minced, optional
- 1 teaspoon browning sauce
- 1 teaspoon molasses
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- 6 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 1/2 cups chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 6 sprigs fresh thyme
- Rice and peas and plantains for serving, optional
Instructions
- Place the chicken in a medium bowl. Trim away any excess fat. If you like you can rinse the chicken (see Cook’s Note) and then drain it well. Sprinkle the chicken with the granulated onion, granulated garlic, smoked paprika, ground ginger, allspice, chicken bouillon powder, if using, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon black pepper. Add the diced onion, green and orange bell peppers, fresh ginger, minced garlic, scallions and Scotch bonnet pepper if using. Then add the browning sauce, molasses and brown sugar. Drizzle in 2 tablespoons of the oil and mix to combine. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
- When ready to cook the chicken, heat the remaining 4 tablespoons oil in a large saucepan or pot over medium-high heat until hot. Remove the chicken from the marinade, leaving the marinade in the bowl. Place the thighs in the pan and sear them on each side until browned, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Lower the heat if the thighs get too dark or if the pan starts to smoke.
- Once the thighs are brown, reduce the heat to medium. Add the marinade to the pan along with the broth, ketchup and thyme. Gently stir to combine. A light brown sauce will form around the chicken. Cover the saucepan with a lid and cook over medium-low heat for 20 minutes.
- Remove the lid after 20 minutes and let simmer until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce is reduced and slightly thickened and brown, about 10 minutes more. The sauce should have a sweet, earthy flavor and nutty aroma. Taste the sauce and add more salt if needed. Serve with rice and peas and plantains, if desired.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 5 servings |
| Calories | 585 |
| Total Fat | 44 g |
| Saturated Fat | 9 g |
| Carbohydrates | 17 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 3 g |
| Sugar | 7 g |
| Protein | 30 g |
| Cholesterol | 158 mg |
| Sodium | 962 mg |