Jamaican Brown Stew Chicken with Fried Plantains

Jamaica is one of our favorite places to vacation and we were so stoked to cook up this Jamaican brown stew chicken that we raved about it all evening and the next morning too! We actually had this meal when we were in Jamaica so this brought back memories of bright sun, blue ocean, beautiful green countryside and friendly people who enjoy sharing their spicy food. On our numerous trips, we have found the Jamaican people very happy and friendly to us. I guess living in Paradise can do that to you.

Browning the chicken in the pan first adds a level of richness to the gravy. A trick we learned from a Jamaican cook is to sprinkle a bit of sugar on the chicken while it's browning. That gives the chicken the nice dark color and also adds to the flavor of the sauce. This recipe is authentic Jamaican but as usual, we had to do our thing and add a little twist to it. It turned out fantastic! Full of flavor and richness!

To complete the experience we fried some plantains then coated them with a cinnamon and sugar mixture. We served the chicken and gravy over long grain white rice with the fried plantains on the side.

What a treat! I'm telling you this was a great experience! Well worth the time and effort! Hope you'll give it a try!

Serves: 4
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes

INGREDIENTS:
3 pounds of cut up chicken your choice as to parts. We chose wings and thighs because that's what we like.
For the marinade:
2 t salt
1/2 t fresh ground black pepper
2 t molasses
3 large cloves garlic, crushed
2 green onions, chopped
For the sauce:
Cooking oil for frying- we chose Mazola oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 red pepper in 1/2" pieces
1 green pepper in 1/2 " pieces (or you can use an assortment of mini peppers)
2 t dried thyme or a bundle of fresh thyme
1 t Sriracha (more if you like it spicier)
2 T ketchup
2 C hot water, divided
1 t salt
2 t beef gravy base
1 t corn starch

PREPARATION:
1. Wash the chicken and pat dry with a paper towel. Place chicken parts in a large ziploc freezer bag.
2. Mix the marinade ingredients and add to the bag. Cover all the chicken parts with the marinade. Marinate overnight in the fridge, turning occasionally to make sure all the pieces are soaking up the marinade. We set the bag on a plate in case of leaks.
3. Heat the oil in a large cast iron pot then add the chicken and fry until chicken is browned. Remove chicken and set aside.
4. Remove most of the oil and add the onions and peppers and cook til softened.
5. Add the thyme, Sriracha, ketchup, beef gravy base and 1 cup of water to the mixture. Simmer for about 5 minutes then add the second cup of water with the corn starch added to it.
6. Add the chicken back to the pan, turn the heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes or until the gravy has thickened.

Jamaican Brown Stew Chicken with Fried Plantains

PLATING:
We like to serve this family style. The table is set with warm plates, a bowl of the brown stew, a bowl of cooked white rice and a plate or bowl of the sugar'd fried plantains. Then everybody gets to select the chicken parts of their choice and the amount of the delicious gravy they put on their rice. Personally I think the large bowl of brown stew emits wonderful, Caribbean aromas as each person ladles out what they want and the feeling of togetherness adds another dimension to the meal.

Bon appetit mon,