Stove Top Stew Chicken
I don't know what exactly it is about Jamaican Stew Chicken that I love so much. Between the yummy spices or the fragrant ginger that goes into this, I can't call it.. it is just so damn addicting!
Stew Chicken is one of my all time favorite, one pot recipes to make!
This past Easter Sunday, I did a grocery store run with my cousin, Tishy, who made the most bomb.com short ribs for dinner and I decided to make another version of my crock pot version of this stew chicken.
I must say, it came out very good! Sweet & Spicy and the chicken.. OH SO TENDER!
This remixed version, came from a friends suggestion to actually use raw brown cane sugar to brown the chicken instead of the normal, browning gravy that is very popular.
(NO judgement here, you can always add in a little browning if you want. I get it, it's the coloring so no judgement whatsoever lol.)
Why?
Well, my friend, who is Jamaican from Brooklyn said that this is actually the authentic way to cook Jamaican Stew Chicken because that is where the brown color comes from and NOT from the browning liquid. She basically said that, using the browning liquid, which is fine when you're in a hurry, is the lazy way of doing this particular stew.
ME = MIND BLOWN!
So, of course, I was convinced that I was going to do it the AUTHENTIC WAY! She told me that the raw brown cane sugar adds the real sweetness to the dish and makes the chicken sticky & brown, which you want, while the peppers/hot sauce gives it a nice kick!
I tried it on Sunday and I must say I am convinced that this is how you cook Jamaican Stew Chicken from here on out! The key is letting the sugar melt and get almost to the caramelization point to when it's almost damn near caramel and then you brown the chicken!
I'm telling you, MIND BLOWN!
Don't be intimated by the caramelization process of the sugar, it is pretty simple and it will make you feel oh so accomplished!
If you happen to try this remixed version, be sure to tag me @JustAddHotSauce_ & #JustAddHotSauce
Ingredients:
- 1 whole chicken, cut up in pieces (leg, thigh, breast, wings) & skin removed
- 1 yellow onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic, finely minced
- 1 red pepper, finely chopped
- 1 (thumb sized) knob of ginger, finely minced
- 3 or 4 sprigs of fresh thyme
- 4 green onions, sliced
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 2 tablespoons hot sauce (I like it spicy, so I added more..duh)
- 4 tablespoons of raw brown Kane sugar
- 1 tablespoon, EVOO
- 2 cups of water
Instructions:
1. Preferably the night before, season the chicken to your liking ( I use salt, pepper, oregano, adobo, garlic powder, onion powder and smoked paprika)
2. In a wide, deep dish pan heat up on medium high heat the EVOO and the brown sugar. This step is important as you need to watch the sugar dissolve & melt until it is this golden brown color. This will take roughly 3-4 minutes but you cannot let it burn!
3. Once the sugar is melted and in the beginning stages of the caramelization phase add in your chicken pieces, 4 at a time, brown them on each side for 4 minutes each until golden brown! Remember you are not fully cooking the chicken.
4. Remove the chicken, set aside.
5. In the same pan, add your chopped onions, garlic, ginger, red pepper, green onions and thyme. Saute for about 3 minutes.
5. Add in the soy sauce, hot sauce & ketchup. Stir together. Be sure to taste this mixture before adding in the chicken to make sure it is seasoned enough to your liking. (I really like the sweet and savory aspect so I added a little more brown sugar to this to make the sweetness stand out)
6. Add in the two cups of water, stir together.
7. Add in the chicken, be sure each piece of chicken is equally covered with the water. Let it simmer for about 30-40 minutes until the chicken is tender enough were it is falling off the bone.
8. Serve over rice!
CHEERS TO EATING!
