BROWN STEW CHICKEN

Brown Stew Chicken image

Popular in many Caribbean households, this chicken dish gets its deep rich color from store-bought browning sauce, like Grace, which is made from a combination of concentrated vegetables, seasonings and caramelized sugar. The browning sauce is used in the marinade, where it's bolstered by brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce and warm spices. The chicken is braised and cooked low with sweet vegetables, like carrots and onions, and yields a thick gravy that's just as delicious spooned over rice or paired with cabbage.

Provided by Millie Peartree

Categories dinner, poultry, main course

Time 2h45m

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 20

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Ingredients

2 tablespoons browning sauce, such as Grace
2 tablespoons light or dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1 teaspoon chile powder
1 teaspoon allspice powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
4 whole bone-in, skinless chicken legs (about 3 pounds)
Kosher salt and black pepper
2 whole scallions, halved crosswise
4 fresh thyme sprigs
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more as needed
1 medium onion, sliced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
3 Roma tomatoes, washed and quartered
3 medium carrots, sliced 1/2-inch thick on a bias
1 quart chicken stock, plus more as needed
3 dried bay leaves
Rice, roti or naan, for serving

Steps:

Make the marinade: Add all marinade ingredients to a large bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside.
Prepare the chicken: Season the chicken with 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Place chicken, scallions and thyme in the bowl with the marinade and mix to combine. Let the chicken marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours and up to overnight. (Any longer will change the texture of the chicken.) Remove chicken from the refrigerator at least 1 hour before starting to cook.
Heat a shallow Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high. Drizzle in 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add sliced onions, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and fragrant, 3 to 4 minutes. Add garlic to pan, cook for 30 seconds or until tender, stirring to keep the garlic from scorching. Using a pair of tongs or spoon, remove onions and garlic from the pan. Place in a medium bowl and set aside.
If needed, add more oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Add chicken to the pan, letting the excess marinade drip back into the bowl, and reserving the scallions and thyme sprigs. Working in batches, sear chicken on both sides until dark brown, adjusting the heat if necessary to avoid burning the marinade, about 3 to 4 minutes total. Discard excess marinade.
Return onions to pan. Add tomato paste and stir. Place quartered tomatoes and sliced carrots in the pan. Slowly pour in chicken stock to nearly cover. (Add more as needed.) Using your spatula, scrape off the bits from the bottom of the pan. Add bay leaves and the reserved thyme and scallions from the marinade.
Bring to a rolling simmer. Reduce heat to low. Cover and cook for 30 minutes or until chicken is tender. Remove thyme stems and bay leaf, and discard. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve with rice, roti or naan bread.