← Nouns Cooking · Caribbean

Ingredients

• 1.2 kg bone-in chicken thighs and drumsticks, skin removed, cut into pieces
• 1 handful coriander (or chadon beni), chopped
• 3 Spring onion, chopped
• 4 cloves Garlic, minced
• 4 sprigs Thyme, leaves picked
• 1½ tsp Salt
• ½ tsp Black pepper
• 2 tbsp Vegetable oil
• 3 tbsp Brown sugar
• 1 Onion, chopped
• 1 Carrot, diced
• 200 g Pumpkin or squash, diced
• 1 can pigeon peas (400 g can), drained and rinsed
• 400 g long-grain parboiled rice, rinsed
• 400 ml Coconut milk
• 500 ml Water
• 1 tbsp Ketchup
• 1 Scotch bonnet chilli, left whole

Method

1. Toss the chicken with the coriander, spring onion, garlic, thyme, salt and pepper. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour.
2. Heat the oil in a large heavy pot over medium heat, add the sugar and leave it to melt. Watch closely: when it froths and turns dark amber, almost smoking, add the chicken at once (stand back, it spits) and stir to coat every piece.
3. Cook the chicken for 10 min, turning, until it is well browned and glazed. Add the onion and carrot and cook for 3 min more.
4. Stir in the pumpkin, pigeon peas and rice so the grains get coated in the dark sugar. Pour in the coconut milk, water and ketchup, add the whole scotch bonnet and bring to a boil.
5. Cover tightly, turn the heat to low and cook for 25–30 min, stirring once halfway, until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed. It should be moist, not dry.
6. Rest for 5 min off the heat, fish out the pepper and serve with coleslaw or a cucumber salad. The chicken is done when the thickest piece reaches 75°C (165°F).

Tips

• Do not walk away from the sugar: pale caramel gives no colour, but black, burnt sugar turns the pelau bitter.
• Cool leftovers quickly and refrigerate within an hour; reheat until piping hot.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

CaribbeanPot.com Taste the Islands