Chicken & turkey

Brown Stew Chicken

Name: Brown Stew Chicken
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 55 min
Total time: 1 h 45 min
Cuisine: Caribbean
Ingredients: 900g chicken thigh fillets, halved; 30ml dark soy sauce; 15g (1 tbsp) dark brown sugar; 4 (60g) spring onions, chopped; 4 cloves (20g) garlic, crushed; 4 sprigs (or 1 tsp dried) thyme; 3g (1 tsp) ground allspice; 1g black pepper; 1 (10g) scotch bonnet, pierced with a knife; 1 (150g) onion, sliced; 1 (160g) red pepper, sliced; 1 (160g) green pepper, sliced; 2 (200g) carrots, sliced; 20g (1 tbsp) tomato purée; 15ml rapeseed oil; 1 cube chicken stock cube; 300ml water

Jamaican chicken thighs browned in caramelised sugar and stewed with thyme, allspice, scotch bonnet, carrot and peppers in a rich, dark gravy.

makes 22 blocks, about 41p each

Jump to recipe

Illustration of a bowl of Brown Stew Chicken

Time: 1 hr 45 min20 min prep · 55 min cook · 30 min marinating
Makes: 22 blocks
Cost per blockPer block: 41p
Calories per blockCalories: 74 kcal
Spice

Ingredients

Batch size

blocks

900gchicken thigh fillets, halved
30mldark soy sauce
15g (1 tbsp)dark brown sugar
4 (60g)spring onions, chopped
4 cloves (20g)garlic, crushed
4 sprigs (or 1 tsp dried)thyme
3g (1 tsp)ground allspice
1gblack pepper
1 (10g)scotch bonnet, pierced with a knife
1 (150g)onion, sliced
1 (160g)red pepper, sliced
1 (160g)green pepper, sliced
2 (200g)carrots, sliced
20g (1 tbsp)tomato purée
15mlrapeseed oil
1 cubechicken stock cube
300mlwater

Allergens: Soya. Check the labels on stock cubes, sauces and pastes, as brands vary.

Nutrition

estimated

	1 block	3 blocks
Energy	74 kcal	222 kcal
Protein	8.2g	24.6g
Carbs	3.7g	11.1g
Fat	3g	9g
Fibre	0.8g	2.4g
Salt	0.5g	1.5g

Method

Step 1: Mix the chicken with the soy, half the sugar, the spring onions, garlic, thyme, allspice and pepper. Leave for 30 minutes, or overnight in the fridge.
Step 2: Heat the oil in a casserole over a medium-high heat, add the rest of the sugar and bubble until dark brown but not black, or it turns bitter. (1 min)
Step 3: Brown the chicken in the caramel in two batches, keeping the marinade. Lift out. (10 min)
Step 4: Fry the onion, peppers and carrots, then stir in the tomato purée. (6 min)
Step 5: Add the marinade, water, stock cube, scotch bonnet and chicken. Cover and simmer gently until tender (30 min), then uncover and simmer until thick. (10 min)
Step 6: Remove the scotch bonnet and thyme stalks. Cool and freeze in 70g blocks.

Hotter: chop the scotch bonnet into the marinade instead of adding it whole.

Serve it

Rice and peas · Steamed rice with fried plantain · Hard dough bread to mop up the gravy

Nutrition (estimated)
	kcal	protein	carbs	fat	fibre	salt
Per block	74	8.2g	3.7g	3g	0.8g	0.5g
Per 3 blocks	222	24.6g	11.1g	9g	2.4g	1.5g

Cook’s notes

Jamaican browning can replace the soy and sugar: use 2 tbsp in the marinade and skip the caramel.
Bone-in thighs and drumsticks: simmer for 40 minutes, then take the meat off the bones before freezing.

Serve it

Rice and peas · Steamed rice with fried plantain · Hard dough bread to mop up the gravy.

Freeze, reheat and serve

Freeze: Cool it within two hours, portion it into 70g blocks in a silicone tray, then bag and label them. It keeps for 3 months.
Reheat: Microwave 3 blocks, covered, for 1 minute, stir, then heat for another 1 to 2 minutes until piping hot all the way through. Or warm them in a pan with a splash of water. Never refreeze thawed blocks.
A portion: 3 blocks (210g) make a dinner for one adult: about 222 kcal and 24.6g protein before rice, bread or potatoes.

Brown Stew Chicken questions

Why brown the chicken in caramelised sugar?

Burning the sugar to a dark caramel in hot oil is how Jamaican cooks give the stew its colour and a deep, slightly bittersweet flavour. Have the chicken ready, as the sugar goes from brown to black very quickly.

What if I can't find a scotch bonnet?

A habanero is the closest swap, with a similar fruity heat. Left whole and pierced, either one adds flavour and a gentle warmth without making the stew too hot.

Can I use chicken breast?

Breast works but dries out more easily than thigh. Brown it briefly and simmer it for 15 minutes in step 5, then reduce the gravy without the chicken and stir it back in.