My grandmother was born in Kingston Jamaica and came to the UK in 1958; she was a fantastic cook. Brown stew chicken was one of my favourites and she used to make this dish regularly in her very old Dutch pot – I never tired of it. Sumptuous pieces of chicken in a rich, dark brown (spicy yet slightly sweet) gravy. I’m afraid my grandmother never gave me a recipe – not ever; I was instructed to watch and learn. I never saw her fretting over the quantities or ratios of herbs and spices – in fact even for cakes I have never seen her with a set of kitchen scales. My grandmother would say you should judge it with your eyes.
After a serving of this chicken, I was always sated and felt truly happy and nourished. When I finished everything on the plate I was given seconds…because it meant I wasn’t full. Traditional soul food cooked with love. So this recipe is based on what I observed over many years and is shared in tribute to my amazing grandmother, Mercelena.
For the quantities…well you’ll have to judge it!
Ingredients
Garlic
Ginger
Smoked paprika
Thyme
Scotch bonnet chilli
Onion
Scallions
Brown sugar
Salt
Black pepper
Gravy browning
Method
Marinade the chicken overnight in all the spices.
Pan fry the seasoned chicken, then fry the onions and scallion.
Add gravy browning and cook on a low heat slowly.
I think that Jamaican brown stew chicken is best served with a side of rice and peas (red kidney beans cooked with rice) and fried plantain.
For the health conscious, enjoy with steamed vegetables.
Variations
You could add potatoes to your chicken
Food takeaway: the national dish of Jamaica is ackees and saltfish