Post by Ali on Apr 8, 2011 18:33:12 GMT 1
Ali asked me to post this recipe when I told her what I was having for tea last night, so here goes.
Caribbean chicken
I'm not so good on exact quantities. Yesterday I used a kilo pack (knock down near sell by date) hautes de cuisses (7 pieces), but you can chop up a whole chicken.
Make a marinade
4 large tomatoes diced
2 big onions diced
3 cloves of garlic
2 scotch bonnet peppers (if you can get them) deseeded and sliced thinly - don't touch anywhere sensitive til you've washed your hands. These have a special taste but ordinary chillis will do. I actually used chilli flakes yesterday (a liberal sprinkling)
Juice of one lime (preferable) or lemon
Couple of teaspoons of allspice (Jamaican pimento not mixed spice). I just have the berries so I crush them with the side of a knife
Salt and lots of black pepper.
A good couple of tablespoons of fresh thyme
Marinade the chicken overnight but a few hours will do.
Take chicken out of marinade and brown over quite a high heat. (In some Caribbean islands they caramelise some brown sugar in the oil before they put the chicken in - I never bother). Remove, lower heat and add marinade to pan. Stir round for a bit, simmering. Add chicken pieces, cover and cook til tender.
Actually last night I cheated - marinaded whole lot in slow cooker overnight then stirred and switched on when I went to work - but I prefer the chicken browned.
I normally serve with a coconutty rice and peas, but it's good with tropical veg too - some yam, sweet potato and fried plantain.
For the rice and peas
tin coconut milk (or make some up by pouring hot water onto 1/3 block of coconut cream
small tin red beans drained - save liquid
basmati rice - rinsed, soaked for 1/2 hour then drained
Fry an onion in oil
Add rice and stir til golden
Add red beans, more thyme, salt and pepper, 1 sliced scotch bonnet or chilli, sqeeze of lemon juice, and liquid (coconut milk, red bean water, and water made up to 1 and a half times volume of rice - 2 cups of rice, 3 cups of water for example).
Bring to simmer, stir, cover pot (I always stretch a clean tea towel under the lid, cos that's how Lily in Goa showed me how to cook rice and hers was always perfect), and turn off heat. Leave for 20 -30 minutes WITHOUT peeking. Sorted. This rice is brilliant heated up in the oven the next day - especially the bits that go crunchy brown.
Fried plantain makes a brilliant side dish, as does a good coleslaw.
There you go Ali - I'm sure I've posted this before in cookery section but can't find it now. It's one of my favourites and my kids and guests often ask specially for it when coming round for dinner.
Caribbean chicken
I'm not so good on exact quantities. Yesterday I used a kilo pack (knock down near sell by date) hautes de cuisses (7 pieces), but you can chop up a whole chicken.
Make a marinade
4 large tomatoes diced
2 big onions diced
3 cloves of garlic
2 scotch bonnet peppers (if you can get them) deseeded and sliced thinly - don't touch anywhere sensitive til you've washed your hands. These have a special taste but ordinary chillis will do. I actually used chilli flakes yesterday (a liberal sprinkling)
Juice of one lime (preferable) or lemon
Couple of teaspoons of allspice (Jamaican pimento not mixed spice). I just have the berries so I crush them with the side of a knife
Salt and lots of black pepper.
A good couple of tablespoons of fresh thyme
Marinade the chicken overnight but a few hours will do.
Take chicken out of marinade and brown over quite a high heat. (In some Caribbean islands they caramelise some brown sugar in the oil before they put the chicken in - I never bother). Remove, lower heat and add marinade to pan. Stir round for a bit, simmering. Add chicken pieces, cover and cook til tender.
Actually last night I cheated - marinaded whole lot in slow cooker overnight then stirred and switched on when I went to work - but I prefer the chicken browned.
I normally serve with a coconutty rice and peas, but it's good with tropical veg too - some yam, sweet potato and fried plantain.
For the rice and peas
tin coconut milk (or make some up by pouring hot water onto 1/3 block of coconut cream
small tin red beans drained - save liquid
basmati rice - rinsed, soaked for 1/2 hour then drained
Fry an onion in oil
Add rice and stir til golden
Add red beans, more thyme, salt and pepper, 1 sliced scotch bonnet or chilli, sqeeze of lemon juice, and liquid (coconut milk, red bean water, and water made up to 1 and a half times volume of rice - 2 cups of rice, 3 cups of water for example).
Bring to simmer, stir, cover pot (I always stretch a clean tea towel under the lid, cos that's how Lily in Goa showed me how to cook rice and hers was always perfect), and turn off heat. Leave for 20 -30 minutes WITHOUT peeking. Sorted. This rice is brilliant heated up in the oven the next day - especially the bits that go crunchy brown.
Fried plantain makes a brilliant side dish, as does a good coleslaw.
There you go Ali - I'm sure I've posted this before in cookery section but can't find it now. It's one of my favourites and my kids and guests often ask specially for it when coming round for dinner.