Jamaican Brown Stew Chicken

Jamaican Brown Stew Chicken

A fabulously spicy chicken dish made light with skinless chicken legs and thighs, simmered in a pot with light coconut milk, scallions, onions, tomatoes, garlic, thyme and one very hot scotch bonnet pepper. I served this with Jamaican rice and beans (recipe coming tomorrow), and a simple tomato avocado salad, and boy was this delicious!

I just love the tropical flavors in Jamaican cuisine, it's similar to Latin cuisine only a whole lot hotter! The scotch bonnet pepper is commonly used in Jamaican cuisine, but I warn you, it's spicy!! This small little pepper packs a whole lot more heat than a jalapeño so a little goes a long way. I like spicy foods, but I personally can only tolerate using 1/2 pepper for my taste and wearing gloves when handling the pepper is a must. If you like really spicy food, then add the whole pepper and please, keep them away from the kids and pets!!

I'm a dark meat lover so I chose the legs and thighs, but you can use a whole chicken cut up, or just the breast if you prefer white meat. I recommend using chicken on the bone, because bones give stews flavor and although it would still work with boneless chicken, it won't be as good. My husband loved this dish, and it will absolutely be going into our dinner rotation. Enjoy!!
Ingredients:

• 6 bone-in chicken legs with thighs attached, skin removed (6 thighs, 6 drumsticks)
• 1 lime or 1/4 cup lime juice
• 1 large tomato, chopped
• 4 medium scallions, chopped
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1/2 - 1 hot scotch bonnet pepper, seeds + membrane removed, chopped
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme or 2 tsp dried thyme
• 2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce (for gluten free use GF Tamari)
• 1 tsp coconut oil (canola would be fine too)
• 1 medium carrot, chopped finely
• 2 tsp cornstarch
• 1 1/2 cups unsweetened light coconut milk (I like Thai Kitchen)
• 1/4 tsp kosher salt

Directions:

Squeeze lime over chicken and rub well. Drain off excess lime juice.

Using gloves

combine

tomato, scallion, onion, garlic, scotch bonnet pepper, thyme and soy sauce in a large bowl and add to the chicken.

Cover

and marinate at least one hour.

Heat oil in a dutch pot or large saucepan. Shake off the seasonings as you remove each piece of chicken from the marinade, reserving the marinade for later.

Lightly

brown

the chicken on medium-high heat. When browned on all sides,

pour

the marinade over the chicken and

add

the carrots.

Stir

and

cook

over medium heat for 10 minutes.

Mix

cornstarch and coconut milk and

add

to stew, stirring constantly.

Reduce

heat to low and cook an additional 20 minutes or until tender,

add

salt to taste.

Adapted from Food.com

http://www.skinnytaste.com/2012/02/jamaican-brown-stew-chicken.html#more