Jamaican Brown Stew Chicken (Print Version)

# Ingredients:

→ For the Chicken Marinade

01 - 3 pounds bone-in chicken pieces (thighs and drumsticks work best), with or without skin
02 - 1 cup diced onion
03 - ½ cup sliced scallions, including both white and green parts
04 - 6 garlic cloves, finely minced or crushed
05 - 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and minced
06 - 1 tablespoon brown sugar, packed
07 - 2 teaspoons browning sauce
08 - 1½ teaspoons kosher salt
09 - 1 teaspoon paprika
10 - ½ teaspoon Jamaican allspice, ground
11 - ½ teaspoon dried thyme
12 - ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
13 - 2 bay leaves

→ For Cooking the Stew

14 - 2 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil
15 - 2 cups chicken stock or broth
16 - 1 bell pepper (red, orange, or yellow), sliced thin
17 - 1 whole Scotch bonnet or habanero pepper, left intact
18 - ¼ cup ketchup

# Instructions:

01 - Grab a large mixing bowl or a gallon-sized resealable bag and toss in your chicken along with everything from the marinade list. Mix it all together, working the marinade into every piece of chicken. Cover your bowl with plastic wrap or zip up the bag, then let it sit in the fridge for at least an hour, though overnight is even better.
02 - Pull the chicken out of the marinade and scrape off any chunky bits of veggies or herbs clinging to it. Keep that leftover marinade in the bowl—you'll need it soon. Let the chicken hang out on the counter for about 10 minutes to take the chill off before cooking.
03 - Heat your oil in a heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the chicken to the hot oil in batches if your pot isn't huge, placing skin-side down first if you're using skin-on pieces. Let each side get nicely browned—about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Don't worry if some spots turn quite dark; the sauce will balance everything out. Once browned, remove the chicken and set it aside. If there's a lot of rendered fat in the pan, pour most of it out, leaving just a couple tablespoons behind.
04 - Pour that reserved marinade into the pot and stir it around for a minute or two until it starts smelling amazing and the vegetables begin softening. Add your chicken broth and scrape up all those delicious browned bits stuck to the bottom. Toss in the sliced bell pepper, the whole Scotch bonnet pepper, and the ketchup. Stir everything until smooth, then nestle the browned chicken pieces back into the pot and give it all a good stir to coat the chicken.
05 - Once everything comes to a boil, pop the lid on, turn the heat down to low so it's just gently bubbling, and let it cook for about 45 minutes. Flip the chicken pieces a few times while it's simmering. You'll know it's ready when the chicken is fall-apart tender and the sauce has thickened up nicely. If you want an even richer sauce, take the lid off and let it simmer for another 10 to 15 minutes.
06 - Fish out the bay leaves and the whole Scotch bonnet pepper and toss them. Give the stew a taste and add more salt or pepper if you think it needs it. Serve this beauty over rice—coconut rice or traditional Jamaican rice and peas would be perfect.

# Notes:

01 - For a quicker version, you can use chicken tenders instead. Use about 2 pounds or 12 tenders, brown them for just 1½ minutes per side, and reduce the simmering time to 35 minutes.
02 - Food-safe gloves are a lifesaver when massaging the marinade into the chicken and scraping it off later—trust me on this one!
03 - If you're working with an enameled cast iron pot, stick to silicone tongs and wooden spoons to avoid scratching the surface.
04 - Got dry bay leaves? Add them after you've mixed everything else to prevent them from breaking into tiny pieces that are annoying to fish out later.
05 - Feel free to throw in a cup of sliced carrots when you add the peppers for extra vegetables.
06 - You can mix and match bell pepper colors if you like, though the colors tend to blend together once everything's cooked down.

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