Jamaican Chicken Stew
Servings
4Serving size
about 2 cupsThis recipe can easily be multiplied but you’ll need a BIG pot. This recipe keeps well in the refrigerator.
Ingredients
| 1 tsp. Olive oil |
| 1 large White onions (cut into 1 inch slices) |
| 16 ounces Boneless, skinless chicken thighs (left whole) |
| 1 Tbsp. Ginger root, raw (minced) |
| 3 clove Garlic, raw (minced) |
| 1 pepper Jalapeno pepper (minced)(habanero or scotch bonnet pepper are best) |
| 24 ounce Yam, raw (cut into 1 inch cubes) |
| 8 ounces Carrots, raw (peeled and cut into 1 inch chunks) |
| 4 cups No salt added vegetable stock (or no salt added chicken stock) |
| 4 cup Water |
| 1 tsp., leaves Dried thyme |
| 1/8 tsp. Ground allspice |
| 1/2 tsp. Salt |
| 2 tsp.. Worcestershire sauce |
| 8 ounces Cabbage, raw (cut into 4 2-ounce wedges) |
Instructions
Add the onion and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Stir frequently.
Add the chicken thighs and cook for about 4-5 minutes, turning so that they brown on all sides.
Add the ginger and garlic and cook for 1 minute. Stir frequently.
Add the pepper, yams, carrots, chicken stock, water, thyme, allspice, salt, and Worcestershire sauce and stir.
Bring the stew to a simmer and allow to simmer, partially covered, for 25 minutes. Stir occasionally.
Place the wedges of cabbage into the stew and gently submerge them, leaving them in their wedge shape.
Cover and continue simmering for another 15 minutes without stirring.
Serve.
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Special Diet Information
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Lactose
This recipe is safe for those who are lactose intolerant.
Recipe Notes
The flavors of the Caribbean are at once simple and complex.
There are a lot of aromatic spices used in Jamaican food including ginger, garlic, allspice, nutmeg and paprika. Bringing a few of those elements to this stew makes all the difference in the world – especially the addition of the allspice.
You have to be careful with this delightful flavoring – too much of any single spice will easily overwhelm the dish. This is especially true of the scotch bonnet pepper. If you are not a fan of spicy food, start with a very small one (or a single jalapeno) and add another if you want more heat – or use a bit of cayenne pepper toward the end of the cooking.
This is a great dish to learn about flavor balancing. When you taste the broth alone it may be far too spicy for your taste, but when eaten with the carrots, yams, cabbage, and chicken the sweet and savory flavors balance the spiciness perfectly.