Pelau is what happens when a whole meal goes into one pot. Chicken is browned in sugar that has been cooked to a deep caramel (Trinis call this browning, or “burning the sugar”), then rice, pigeon peas and coconut milk go in on top and everything cooks down together until the grains are tender and stained a rich brown.
Every family makes it a little differently. Some add pumpkin or carrot for sweetness, some a squeeze of ketchup, some cook it with beef or a mix of meats. This version keeps to the core: chicken, pigeon peas, coconut milk and a whole hot pepper that perfumes the pot without making it fiery.
The one step that decides everything is the sugar. Take it far enough and the pelau tastes deep and slightly smoky; stop too early and it is merely sweet; go too far and it turns bitter. Stay at the stove for those few minutes.
The recipe
Trinidad Pelau
Prep
20 min
Cook
50 min
Marinating
30 min
Total
1 hr 40 min
Serves
6
Times and quantities are our best estimates. This recipe is still being kitchen-tested, so trust your eyes and taste as you go.
Servings
Ingredient amounts are scaled. Cooking times and pot size may need adjusting too.
Ingredients
Tick items off as you gather them.
For the chicken
For the pot
Method
Mix the chicken with the green seasoning and salt. Cover and leave in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, or overnight.
Heat the oil in a heavy pot over medium heat. Add the brown sugar and leave it to melt without stirring. When it bubbles and turns dark amber, close to the colour of molasses, go straight to the next step. This takes 2 to 4 minutes; don't walk away.
Add the chicken carefully (it will spit) and stir to coat every piece in the caramel. Cook, stirring now and then, for 5 to 7 minutes until the chicken is browned all over.
Add the onion and carrot and cook for 2 minutes.
Stir in the rice and pigeon peas until the rice is coated and glossy.
Pour in the coconut milk and water. Add the thyme, the whole pepper and the salt. The liquid should sit about ½ inch (1 cm) above the rice; add a little more water if it doesn't.
Bring to a boil, then turn the heat to low, cover tightly and cook for 25 to 30 minutes. Check at 20 minutes: if the bottom is catching before the rice is tender, add a splash of water.
When the rice is tender and the liquid has gone, lift out the thyme stems and the pepper without bursting it. Stir in the butter and chadon beni, cover, and rest for 5 minutes before serving.
Serve it with
Coleslaw and sliced cucumber
Avocado (zaboca) when it's in season
Pepper sauce at the table for anyone who wants heat
Substitutions
Pigeon peas: red kidney beans or black-eyed peas work.
Chicken: beef also works, but simmer it until tender before browning, as it needs much longer than the rice.
Chadon beni: use cilantro, which is milder.
Storing and reheating
Cool quickly and refrigerate in a covered container; eat within 3 days.
Reheat covered with a splash of water until piping hot all the way through.
Cook's notes
The browning step can also be done with ready-made browning sauce. It gives colour but less of the caramel flavour.
A heavy pot such as cast iron holds the heat evenly and makes the browning easier to control.
