In Trinidad, stewing starts with browning: sugar melted in hot oil until it is nearly black, then the seasoned meat stirred straight in. It gives the chicken its deep colour and a gravy that is savoury with a faint bittersweet edge, not sweet.
The chicken is seasoned well ahead with green seasoning, and that seasoning becomes the gravy. Overnight is best; an hour still makes a difference.
Watch the sugar closely. It goes from amber to burnt in seconds, so have the chicken ready beside the stove before you start.
The recipe
Stew Chicken
Prep
20 min
Cook
45 min
Seasoning the meat
1 hr
Total
2 hr 5 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
Season the chicken
Rinse the chicken in cold water with the juice of the lime, then drain well.
Mix in the green seasoning, onion, garlic, tomato, salt, black pepper and Worcestershire sauce. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or overnight.
Brown the chicken
Heat the oil in a heavy pot over medium heat. Add the sugar and leave it to melt without stirring. When it bubbles and turns very dark amber, almost black at the edges, go straight to the next step. This takes 2 to 4 minutes; don't walk away.
Lift the chicken out of its seasoning and add it to the pot carefully, as it will spit. Keep the seasoning in the bowl. Stir to coat every piece in the caramel.
Cook, stirring now and then, for 8 to 10 minutes until the chicken is browned all over.
Stew it down
Cover and let the chicken cook in its own juices over medium-low heat for 10 minutes.
Add the seasoning left in the bowl, the ketchup, the water and the whole pepper. Stir, cover and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring now and then, until the chicken is cooked through and tender.
Uncover for the last few minutes if the gravy is thin. It should be thick enough to coat the chicken. Add a splash of water if it gets too thick.
Taste for salt, lift out the pepper without bursting it, and stir in the chadon beni.
Serve it with
Rice and peas or plain white rice
Macaroni pie, callaloo and a fresh salad for a Sunday plate
Roti or bread for the gravy
Substitutions
Browning sauce: if you would rather not brown sugar, use 1 to 2 tbsp ready-made browning with the chicken. It gives the colour but less of the caramel flavour.
Chicken: thighs and drumsticks stay juicier than breast.
Storing and reheating
Refrigerate in a covered container and eat within 3 days.
Reheat covered with a splash of water until piping hot all the way through. It tastes even better the next day.
Cook's notes
If the sugar burns black and smells acrid, start again: burnt browning makes the whole pot bitter.
The chicken is done when the juices run clear and the thickest piece reaches 165°F (74°C).
