Jamaican Brown Stew Chicken
from https://www.foodandwine.com/
Spicy and sweet, this stew brings the flavors of Jamaica to your kitchen. Originally from Jamaica, brown stew chicken features chicken marinated and braised in aromatics and browning sauce, a pantry staple made from caramelized sugar and a blend of spices.
It is a classic Jamaican stew made with chicken, vegetables and a heavy amount of aromatic spices. The end result is rich, braised chicken in what we like to call a yard-style gravy*. The name brown stew derives from the distinctive dark hue that's created from browning the chicken with brown sugar. The dark brown color is crucial for that wonderful deep coffee coloured gravy to accompany the browned chicken.
Sunday would be the day that brown stew chicken would be served, although there's no reason why you cannot make this any day of the week. Like most dishes, each Caribbean island has their own variation and some people like to include potatoes and carrots.
*"Jamaican yard-style gravy" refers to a rich, flavorful gravy commonly used in Jamaican cooking, typically characterized by a deep, slightly sweet taste achieved through a combination of browning onions, garlic, ginger, spices like allspice, thyme, and often a touch of brown sugar, creating a thick sauce with a distinct "yard" (home-style) quality; it's often served over brown stew chicken or other meats.
Serving suggestion: Jamaican Coconut "Rice & Peas", Curried Roast Potatoes, or Creole Rice
Jamaican Brown Stew Chicken
from https://thatgirlcookshealthy.com/
The Jamaican Brown Stew Chicken s not at all spicy. Instead it will generously seasoned, mild and flavoursome. Even with the use of hot sauce, it gives it a very very mild kick which complements the dish. You can of course, add a scotch bonnet or two, if you want a flaming hot brown stew chicken dinner.
When it comes to cooking the chicken, traditionally the chicken is fried in a generous amount of oil and seared. This step is skipped by roasting it in the oven which drastically cuts out the use of oil. Oven roasting the chicken yields a nice crispy brown exterior and juices from the chicken.
To marinate the chicken:
6-8 chicken thighs (roughly 2lb-2½ lbs) washed and cleaned as instructed in the post
1 tablespoon onion powder (7g)
1 tablespoon garlic powder (8g)
1 teaspoon black pepper (2g)
1 teaspoon all purpose seasoning (2g)
2 teaspoon pink salt (12g)
1 tablespoon coconut palm sugar (1.25g)or use raw organic cane sugar
3 tablespoon browning sauce (45g)only use this amount if using my homemade version, use 1-1½ teaspoon if using store bought
For the yard style gravy:
1 tablespoon olive oil (14g)
1 medium sized onion chopped
3 medium-sized scallions chopped
4 garlic cloves minced
1/2 tablespoon ginger (3.5g)minced
1/2 red bell pepper chopped
1/2 green bell pepper chopped
1 tablespoon pimento berries (15g) or ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
6 sprigs of thyme (16g) tied together or ½ tablespoon dried
1 tablespoon tomato puree (4g)
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (4g)
2-3 tablespoon chicken drippings (28g)optional
a splash of browning
1 1/2 - 2 cups hot water (355ml)
additional black pepper and pink salt to taste
Place the chicken thighs in a large bowl along with the onion powder, garlic powder, black pepper, pink salt, all purpose seasoning, coconut sugar and browning sauce.
Rub the entire marinade into the chicken, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight (preferably) or for several hours.
Preheat the oven to 200C/400F and line a baking tray with parchment paper.
Place the chicken on the baking tray, ensuring they are spaced out and not overcrowded.
Roast the chicken for 25-30 minutes or until the skin is golden and crispy, turning half way through.
Once browned, remove from the oven and set aside (reserve the drippings).
In a large frying pan or skillet, heat the olive oil on medium heat.
Add the onion, scallion garlic, ginger and bell peppers and saute until soft and translucent.
Add the pimento, thyme, tomato puree and hot pepper sauce, stirring and folding the entire contents.
Add 2-3 tablespoons of the reserved drippings along with the hot water to the frying pan (add a splash more browning, if you want to).
Carefully lower the chicken into the pan using tongs. [skin-side up]
Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pan with the lid and allow to slowly simmer for 30-40 minutes to form a rich brown gravy (check the pan to see if any oil is suspended on the surface. If so, skim this off with a spoon). Add 1/2 cup of hot water, if you want to increase the amount of gravy.
Do a taste test and add additional pink salt and black pepper to taste.
Remove the thyme sprigs before serving.
4 servings
Jamaican Brown Stew Chicken
from https://www.foodandwine.com/
Spicy and sweet, this stew brings the flavors of Jamaica to your kitchen. In this recipe from chef Briana Riddock of Forth in Atlanta, chicken is cooked until tender and juicy for a sweet, savory, spicy stew.
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons granulated garlic
2 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 (4 1/2- to 5-pound) whole chicken, cut into 8 pieces
2 tablespoons browning sauce (such as Grace)
1 teaspoon ground allspice or 10 to 12 pimento berries
1 large (12 ounce) white onion, chopped (about 2 cups)
2 plum tomatoes, chopped (about 1 1/4 cups)
1 small green bell pepper, chopped (about 1 cup)
4 small scallions, chopped (about 1 cup)
5 garlic cloves, minced
8 thyme sprigs or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 Scotch bonnet pepper, stem removed
1 cup low-sodium chicken stock or water
3 tablespoons ketchup
Stir together salt, granulated garlic, onion powder, paprika, and black pepper in a large bowl until combined. Add chicken pieces, browning sauce, and allspice, stirring and tossing to evenly combine.
Stir in white onion, tomatoes, bell pepper, scallions, garlic, thyme, and ginger; mix until evenly distributed. Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes or up to 12 hours.
Remove chicken from marinade, letting excess drip off. Reserve marinade.
Heat vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high until shimmering. Working in 3 batches, add chicken pieces to hot oil, and cook until chicken is browned on all sides, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to a plate.
Reduce heat to medium; add Scotch bonnet pepper and reserved marinade to drippings in Dutch oven. Cook, stirring occasionally, scraping any browned bits on bottom of Dutch oven, until vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. Add browned chicken, chicken stock, and ketchup; stir until ketchup dissolves, about 30 seconds.
Bring to a boil over high; reduce heat to low, cover with a tight-fitting lid, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until chicken is tender and cooked through, 30 to 35 minutes. Spoon off and discard fat; discard thyme stems and Scotch bonnet pepper before serving.
Stew can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days.
Servings: 8
