Bouyon

Instructions

1. 1 Season the chicken pieces with salt, pepper, garlic, and fresh thyme. Brown in a large pot with a tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat for six minutes until golden on all sides. This browning step builds the flavour foundation of the creole stew.
2. 2 Add the diced onion to the pot and cook for three minutes. Pour in the six cups of water and the coconut milk. Add the whole scotch bonnet pepper for flavour without breaking it. Bring to a boil and simmer for twenty minutes until the chicken is mostly tender.
3. 3 Add the cubed dasheen, sliced green bananas, and pumpkin to the simmering broth. These starchy provisions will cook in the flavoured broth, absorbing the coconut and chicken flavours while releasing starch that naturally thickens the bouyon.
4. 4 Make small dumplings by mixing flour, water, and salt into a stiff dough, then pinching off small pieces and rolling into oval shapes. Drop the dumplings into the simmering stew and cook for fifteen minutes until they float and are cooked through.
5. 5 The bouyon is ready when all the provisions are tender, the dumplings are cooked, and the broth has thickened from the natural starches released by the root vegetables. Remove the scotch bonnet pepper before serving to control the heat level.
6. 6 Ladle the bouyon into deep bowls, ensuring each serving has chicken, various provisions, and dumplings in the thick, creamy coconut broth. This hearty one-pot stew is Saint Lucia's national dish, embodying the island's creole culinary heritage.