Brown Stew Chicken! Jamaican Sunday Dinner

brown sugar

🥗Healthier: honey

💰Cheaper: white sugar

Honey adds sweetness with fewer calories.

soy sauce

🥗Healthier: tamari

💰Cheaper: liquid aminos

Tamari is gluten-free and offers a similar flavor.

chicken

🥗Healthier: turkey

💰Cheaper: pork

Turkey is leaner, while pork can be less expensive.

chicken broth

🥗Healthier: vegetable broth

💰Cheaper: water with seasoning

Vegetable broth reduces sodium while adding flavor.

Blend the green seasoning ingredients: 1 large onion, 1 head of peeled garlic, 1 inch of ginger, 2 Scotch bonnet peppers (stems removed), 1 stalk of celery, a few sprigs of scallion, a generous amount of fresh thyme (woody bits removed), a handful of cilantro, 1/2 cup olive oil, and 1/2 cup vinegar until roughly blended.

Cut the chicken into bite-sized cubes, rinsing it with a vinegar solution to cut the residue.

Drain the chicken and wash the sink and cutting board after prepping the meat to avoid contamination.

Season the chicken with salt, black pepper, and the green seasoning, mixing thoroughly to coat everything.

Marinate the chicken in the fridge for at least an hour.

Prepare the rice and peas by washing 1 cup of red peas and adding it to a pot with 2 cups of water on medium heat.

Season the peas with 1/2 medium onion (diced), a couple scallions (diced), a few cloves of garlic (diced), 1 piece of smashed ginger, 1 Scotch bonnet pepper, and a few dried pimento berries, cooking for 30 minutes to an hour until tender.

Juice a fresh coconut to extract the milk, blending the coconut flesh with water and squeezing through a cheesecloth or clean hands to get the juice.

Add the coconut milk to the peas, seasoning with salt and optionally 1 tablespoon of brown sugar, and taste for seasoning.

Wash 2 1/2 cups of rice about three times to remove excess starch, then add it to the pot with the peas and coconut milk, ensuring the rice is fully submerged.

Add 2 tbsp of butter to the pot and simmer for about 5 minutes, then cover with cling wrap to seal in steam and reduce heat to low, cooking for an additional 8 minutes.

Fluff the rice after cooking and check for texture, adjusting as needed.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level:

Dietary

Allergens