Try a staple Jamaican stew. The browning comes from ‘burning sugar’ – taking it beyond caramelisation to season the dish
Prep:25 mins
1 whole chicken, approx 1.2kg1 white onion, halved and thinly slicedthumb-sized piece of ginger, grated3 garlic cloves, crushed3 sprigs of thyme1 tbsp ground pimento (also known as allspice)5 tsp caster sugar1 tbsp soy sauce1 red pepper, sliced1 tbsp all-purpose seasoning2 tbsp tomato ketchup1 scotch bonnet pepper2 spring onions, roughly chopped500ml chicken stock
STEP 1Quarter the chicken, remove the wings and separate the legs and thighs, then cut each breast into three pieces. (You can keep the carcass chilled to make stock another day.)STEP 2Season the chicken with the pimento, onion, all purpose seasoning, soy sauce, 1 tsp black pepper and 1½ tsp salt.STEP 3Add the sugar to a large pan and cook over a medium heat. Wait until the sugar starts to melt, keeping an eye on it as it starts to bubble and darken. Once it’s dark brown and has gone just beyond the smell of caramel, add the chicken pieces, shaking off as much of the onion as possible.STEP 4Cook the chicken in batches to brown all over and remove to a pan while you cook the next batch. Once all the chicken is browned, remove from the pan and add the onion, garlic, ginger, spring onion, thyme and a pinch of salt, scraping the bowl to remove any trace of spices. Cook for 5-8 mins until the onion is soft, then return the chicken to the pan. Stir well and add the stock, scotch bonnet and tomato ketchup and top up with 100ml water. Put a lid on and cook for 20 mins. Remove the lid, add the red pepper and cook for another 20-25 mins until the sauce has thickened and the chicken has cooked through. Remove the scotch bonnet and discard, taste for seasoning and serve with rice.
