Brown Stewed Chicken

You'll need: 1kg chicken pieces, bone-in · 1 tablespoon browning sauce · 1 tablespoon soy sauce · 1 teaspoon all-purpose seasoning · 4 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves stripped · half a scotch bonnet, deseeded and finely chopped · 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped · 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, finely grated · 3 spring onions, finely chopped · 1 medium onion, finely chopped

Before any heat goes on, we season. Place the dry chicken pieces into a large bowl. Add the browning sauce, soy sauce, all-purpose seasoning, thyme, scotch bonnet, garlic, ginger, spring onion, and onion. Work everything into the chicken with your hands, making sure every piece is properly coated. Cover and leave to marinate for at least 30 minutes at room temperature, or overnight in the fridge if you are planning ahead. Wash your hands thoroughly and clean any surfaces that touched the raw chicken before touching anything else. The aromatics clinging to that chicken are the flavour foundation, built before the heat even comes on.

You'll need: 2 tablespoons vegetable oil · 1 tablespoon brown sugar

This is the gate most home cooks rush past, and it is the one that makes the biggest difference. Heat oil in a heavy-based pot over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Lift the chicken pieces out of the marinade and brown them in batches, not crowded, 3 to 4 minutes per side for a deep, rich brown. Set each browned piece aside on a plate and keep the reserved marinade in the bowl. Once all the chicken is browned, reduce the heat to medium and add the sugar to the same pot. Let it melt and caramelise to a deep amber colour, stirring slowly. This caramel is the backbone of the gravy, it gives brown stewed chicken its name and its character. Work carefully here, hot caramel is very hot. Wash your hands and any surfaces that touched the raw chicken before touching anything else.

You'll need: Reserved marinated chicken · reserved marinade · 1 medium bell pepper, deseeded and sliced · 4 whole allspice berries

Return all the browned chicken to the pot with the caramel, turning each piece to coat in that dark base. Pour the reserved marinade over the top and stir everything together. Add the bell pepper and whole allspice berries. Let everything sit together over a medium heat for 3 minutes, stirring gently. The bone-in chicken gives the dish body as it cooks, and that long simmer is what makes the meat tender enough to fall away from the bone.

You'll need: 2 tablespoons tomato ketchup · 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce · 350ml water or chicken stock

Add the ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, and water or stock to the pot and stir everything together well. The liquid should come about halfway up the chicken pieces. Bring to a gentle simmer, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook slowly for 45 to 50 minutes. Check and stir occasionally, adding a splash more water if the gravy reduces too fast. The chicken is done when the meat comes away from the bone with almost no resistance and the gravy has thickened into something glossy and rich. Official food safety guidance recommends poultry reaches an internal temperature of 74°C or 165°F, check at the thickest part away from the bone.

You'll need: 2 fresh thyme sprigs · salt and black pepper to taste

Taste the gravy and adjust the seasoning with a little salt and black pepper if needed. Scatter the fresh thyme sprigs over the top and let them sit in the heat for one final minute. If you are serving this to anyone who prefers softer eating, pulling the chicken gently off the bone before serving and shredding the meat into the gravy is genuinely the better way, gravy-soaked shredded chicken over rice is a beautiful thing in its own right. Blessings.