COCONUT BRAISED CHICKEN
One of my favorite Caribbean meals to make for lunch and dinner. This meal is a mix of spice, coconutty cream and so much flavor. The good thing about this meal is that it’s very inexpensive and made in one large pan with accessible ingredients that you can easily find. During the fall and winter months is when I mostly make this dish as it reminds me of the vibrancy of summer!
You can pair this dish with many things. But I usually go for the side dishes that I learned in either Trini, Dominican Republic or Colombia. If you were heading into the Trini food spectrum then you’d go with the rice, pigeon peas and fried sweet plantains. For the D.R. version then it would be boiled green plantains, moro de habichuelas or moro de guandules and for the Colombian version then it would be white rice, boiled yuca “cassava” or fried sweet plantains. But like I said you can definitely choose the sides to your liking; from quinoa, brown rice to a side salad it all depends on what you have available and what you’d like.
BUEN PROVECHO!
SERVES 4
INGREDIENTS
2 Pounds of chicken thighs, skinless [room temperature]
2 Tablespoon of vegetable oil, avocado olive or olive oil
1 Large Spanish or white onion [medium slice]
1 Medium red or green bell pepper [medium slice]
1/2 Jalapeño, optional [minced and deseeded]
1 Large tomato [chopped]
3 Large scallions [sliced thinly]
4 Large garlic cloves [minced]
2 Bay leaves
3 Sprigs of thyme
1 Tablespoon of ketchup
1 Teaspoon of ginger powder
½ Teaspoon of cinnamon powder
1 Teaspoon of clove powder
1 Can of full fat coconut milk [13 ounce can]
1 Tablespoon of paprika
Black pepper
Salt
4 Tablespoons of fresh cilantro or parsley [chopped]
2 Limes, optional [cut into fours]
TOOLS
Cutting board
Knife
Tongs
Plate
Wooden spoon or spatula
Large or extra large saucepan, skillet or pan with a lid preferably
[If you don’t have a lid then use foil paper, when simmering poke 1 extra-small hole in the middle, this will help the steam air out a bit]
PREPARATION
Start by patting dry your chicken with a paper towel and season the thighs with salt, black pepper and paprika.
In a large saucepan or skillet add in your oil of choice and turn your stovetop to a medium-high heat. Once the oil heats up [don’t let it get smokey] add in your seasoned chicken thighs and sear them on each side [approximately 6 minutes on each side]. Once seared transfer them to a plate and set aside.
Automatically turn down your stovetop to a medium heat and add in your sliced onions, red or green bell pepper and minced jalapeño, stir and add about ¼ teaspoon of salt to get the veggies a bit glossy. Next add in your ginger powder, cinnamon powder, clove powder, minced garlic, chopped tomatoes, thinly sliced scallions and a pinch of salt. Sauté until fragrant [this should be about one minute] we just want the spices to cook down a little bit.
Pour in your coconut milk and ketchup. Stir until all the flavors combine, also make sure to get those flavorful brown bits from the bottom of the pan into that sauce. Taste the sauce and adjust the seasonings if it needs more salt and pepper then add more to your liking.
Lastly add in your seared chicken, bay leaves, thyme sprigs and cover your pan with either a lid or foil paper. Turn down your stovetop to a low heat and let everything simmer away for 30-40 minutes or until the chicken is done [165 degrees].
See “Tools” for tips if using foil paper
Once the chicken is done remove the bay leaves and thyme sprigs before serving. Sprinkle the top with either your chopped cilantro or parsley. Serve immediately with your side of choice and the lime wedges.
QUE RICO
