Brown Stew Chicken
Chicken seared in oil where brown sugar has just been caramelized to a deep amber, then braised in a thyme-and-allspice gravy with a whole scotch bonnet for aroma without overwhelming heat. A defining Jamaican Sunday dinner, entirely distinct from jerk chicken's dry-rubbed, grilled-over-pimento-wood technique: this is a braised, sweet-savory gravy dish, not a smoky one.
Meat
Ingredients
- 2.5 lb bone-in chicken thighs and legs, cut up
- 2 tbsp browning sauce, or 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 onion, sliced
- 4 scallions, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp fresh thyme
- 1 scotch bonnet pepper, whole and pricked
- 1 carrot, sliced
- 1 bell pepper, sliced
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1 tbsp ketchup
- Salt, black pepper, and ground allspice, to taste
Steps
- Marinate the chicken with garlic, scallion, thyme, allspice, salt, pepper, and half the browning sauce, for 2 or more hours or overnight.
- Heat the oil in a heavy pot, and caramelize the brown sugar, or add the remaining browning sauce, until deep amber.
- Add the chicken pieces and sear until browned on all sides.
- Remove the chicken, and saute the onion, carrot, and bell pepper.
- Return the chicken to the pot, add the whole scotch bonnet, ketchup, and stock, and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer covered 35-45 minutes until the chicken is tender and the gravy thickens.
- Adjust seasoning, remove the scotch bonnet before serving, and serve over rice and peas.