Trinidadian Pelau

Ingredients

• 1kg bone-in chicken thighs, cut into 5cm pieces through the bone
• 3 tbsp green seasoning (blended chadon beni, spring onion, garlic, thyme and pepper)
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp salt, for the marinade
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 3 tbsp neutral oil
• 4 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 large onion, diced
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 400g parboiled long-grain rice, rinsed
• 1 x 400g tin pigeon peas, drained
• 1 x 400ml tin coconut milk
• 600ml chicken stock or water
• 1 large carrot, diced
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 4 leaves chadon beni, chopped, or a handful of coriander
• 1 whole Scotch bonnet pepper, left uncut
• 1.5 tsp salt, for the pot
• 2 tbsp butter
• To serve: coleslaw and sliced avocado

Before you cook

• Cut the chicken thighs through the bone into pieces and pat them dry.
• Toss the chicken with the green seasoning, Worcestershire sauce, one teaspoon of salt and the black pepper, and leave it for thirty minutes.
• Rinse the rice under cold water until the water runs clear, then drain it well.
• Dice the onion and carrot and mince the garlic.

Steps

1. Set a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat and add three tablespoons of oil.
2. Sprinkle the brown sugar evenly across the oil and leave it alone.
3. Watch the sugar melt, bubble, and then darken through amber to the colour of strong coffee, which takes about three minutes.
4. Move fast at this point, because five seconds too long turns the sugar acrid and the whole pot with it.
5. Add the marinated chicken all at once, standing back as it spits violently.
6. Stir the chicken hard for five minutes so every piece is coated in the dark caramel.
7. Add the diced onion and garlic and cook for three minutes until softened.
8. Tip in the drained rice and turn it through the chicken for two minutes, until every grain is glossy and stained brown.
9. Add the pigeon peas, diced carrot, thyme sprigs and chadon beni.
10. Pour in the coconut milk and the stock, and stir once to level everything out.
11. Add one and a half teaspoons of salt and lay the whole Scotch bonnet on the surface.
12. Bring the pot to a boil, then drop the heat to its lowest setting.
13. Cover tightly and cook undisturbed for twenty-five minutes.
14. Lift the lid and check that the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is tender with a slight bite.
15. Remove the Scotch bonnet carefully without bursting it, along with the thyme stalks.
16. Dot the butter over the rice, replace the lid, and rest off the heat for ten minutes.
17. Fluff the pelau with a fork, bringing the crusty bits from the bottom up through the rice.
18. Serve in deep bowls with coleslaw and avocado on the side.