Jamaican Rice and Peas with Brown Stew Chicken

Ingredients

• 3.5 lb bone-in chicken pieces
• 1 small onion, sliced
• 4 scallions, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
• 1 tsp ground allspice
• 1 scotch bonnet pepper, minced
• 2 tbsp browning sauce
• 2 tbsp brown sugar, divided
• Salt and black pepper
• 1 tsp paprika
• 3 tbsp oil
• 1 carrot, diced
• 1/2 bell pepper, sliced
• 2 tbsp ketchup
• 1.5 cups chicken stock
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 cup dried red kidney beans, soaked overnight
• 2 cups long-grain rice
• 14 oz canned coconut milk
• 2 scallions, bruised
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 3 cloves garlic, smashed
• 1 whole scotch bonnet pepper
• 1 tsp whole allspice berries
• Salt

Before you cook

• Combine the sliced onion, chopped scallions, minced garlic, thyme, allspice, minced scotch bonnet, browning sauce, 1 tablespoon of brown sugar, salt, pepper and paprika, and rub it all over the chicken.
• Cover the chicken and marinate it in the fridge for at least 2 hours, or overnight.
• Drain the soaked kidney beans.

Steps

1. Simmer the soaked kidney beans in water with the bruised scallions, smashed garlic and thyme sprigs for 40 minutes until tender.
2. Add the coconut milk, whole allspice berries, whole scotch bonnet and salt to the beans and bring to a boil.
3. Stir in the rinsed rice, cover, and reduce the heat to low.
4. Simmer the rice for 22 minutes without lifting the lid, until the liquid is absorbed.
5. Remove the scotch bonnet, thyme stems and scallions from the rice and fluff it with a fork.
6. Lift the chicken out of its marinade and set the marinade aside.
7. Heat the oil with the remaining brown sugar in a heavy pot over medium heat until it turns a dark amber color.
8. Brown the chicken pieces on all sides in the caramelized sugar, about 8 minutes total, then remove them.
9. Add the diced carrot and sliced bell pepper to the pot and cook for 4 minutes until softened.
10. Return the chicken to the pot along with the reserved marinade, stock, ketchup and bay leaf.
11. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 25 minutes.
12. Uncover and simmer for 10 more minutes until the sauce has thickened and the chicken is cooked through.
13. Serve the brown stew chicken over the rice and peas.