Jamacian Brown Stew Chicken
Ingredients
- ½ medium yellow onion, chopped
- 1 large bell pepper, chopped
- 4 scallions, chopped
- 6 cloves of garlic, minced or 1 tbsp. garlic paste
- 1 tbsp. light or dark brown sugar, packed
- 1 tsp. smoked paprika
- ½ tsp. Jamaican ground allspice
- ½ tsp. ground ginger
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 8 – 9 chicken pieces, your choice of legs, boneless/skinless thighs, breasts, etc.
- 3 tsp. browning sauce
- 3 tbsp. vegetable or canola oil, plus more as needed
- 2 medium-sized carrots, chopped
- 1 8-ounce can tomato sauce
- 4 – 6 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 scotch bonnet pepper, left whole; do not cut
- 3 cups chicken stock or broth
- Rice and green peas, cooked, for serving, optional
- Prepared plantains, for serving, optional
Instructions
To prepare and marinate chicken:
- In a large bowl or gallon-sized ziplock bag, add the onion, bell pepper, scallions, garlic, brown sugar, paprika, allspice, ginger, salt and pepper, to taste; stir to thoroughly combine.
- Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and then add the chicken pieces and browning sauce.
- Massage all the aromatics and spices into the chicken, massaging very well to ensure the chicken pieces are nicely coated.
- Cover the bowl with a lid, plastic wrap or seal ziplock bag and transfer to refrigerator to allow flavors to marinate for at least 2 hours or overnight for the best results.
- If marinating overnight, be sure to go back and stir/massage the chicken at least once; this will ensure even flavor marination throughout.
To brown chicken pieces:
- Remove the chicken pieces from the marinade mixture, shaking off excess onion, bell pepper and/or scallion bits; do not discard the marinade; set aside.
- Set the chicken aside on a medium baking sheet or large plate or platter.
- In a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, over medium-high heat, heat the oil.
- Once the oil is shimmering, gently swirl the pot around to evenly coat the bottom.
- Add a few chicken pieces into the pot, working in batches, careful not to overcrowd.
- Sear the chicken on all sides until a deep brown crust appears; about 2 to 3 minutes on each side.
- Transfer the browned chicken onto a clean, medium baking sheet or large plate or platter and repeat the process until all the chicken pieces are browned; add a little more of oil in between batches, as needed.
- Set the browned chicken aside and reduce the heat to medium.
To add the flavor agents and assemble the stew:
- Add all the reserved marinade mixture into the same pot and use a wooden utensil to sauté until lightly tender, scraping up any caramelized bits on the bottom of the pot; about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add all browned chicken pieces back into the pot, nestling them right on top of the marinade mixture, along with any residual juices that have collected.
- Add the carrots, tomato sauce, fresh thyme, bay leaves, scotch bonnet pepper, and chicken stock: gently stir everything together until well combined.
To stew the chicken and serve:
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and cover the pot with a lid.
- Allow the chicken to stew for 1-½ to 2 hours, covered, until the chicken pieces are meltingly tender and falling off the bone.
To prepare the stew gravy and serve:
- Discard the herb stems, bay leaves and scotch bonnet pepper from the pot.
- If preferred, thicken the stew liquid in the pot, by placing over medium-high heat and cook, gently stirring, for a bit until the liquid reaches the desired consistency.
- Afterwards, taste and adjust with more salt and or pepper, as desired.
