🇯🇲 Jamaican Cuisine

Brown Stew Chicken

Caramelized Braised Chicken

Prep Time 1 hour 30 min
Servings 4
Difficulty Medium
Calories 450 kcal

Chicken pieces browned in caramelized sugar, then braised in a rich gravy with tomatoes, onions, allspice, and Scotch bonnet until fork-tender.

Ingredients

  • 1.5kg chicken pieces, bone-in
  • 2 tbsp browning sauce
  • 1 tbsp brown sugar
  • 2 tomatoes, diced
  • 1 onion, sliced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 stalks scallion, chopped
  • 1 Scotch bonnet pepper, whole
  • 3 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 2 tsp allspice
  • 2 tbsp ketchup
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • Salt and black pepper
  • 250ml water

Instructions

  1. 1 Season chicken with garlic, thyme, scallion, allspice, soy sauce, salt, and pepper. Marinate at least one hour for best flavor.
  2. 2 Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add brown sugar and let it caramelize until dark amber, about two minutes.
  3. 3 Add chicken pieces to the caramelized sugar and sear until deeply browned on all sides. Work in batches to avoid crowding.
  4. 4 Add onion, tomatoes, ketchup, browning sauce, and water. Stir to combine and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom.
  5. 5 Add whole Scotch bonnet on top without piercing it. Cover and simmer on low for forty-five minutes until chicken is tender.
  6. 6 Uncover and cook ten more minutes to thicken the gravy. Remove Scotch bonnet before serving with rice and peas.

Did You Know?

The browning sauce used in this dish is a Jamaican pantry staple made from caramelized sugar and is used to give meats their distinctive dark color.

From The Culinary Codex — http://theculinarycodex.com/dish/jamaican/brown-stew-chicken/