Preparing Chicken for Stewing

• In traditional Jamaican cooking, meat and fish are washed in vinegar or lime juice before preparing. This method predates refrigeration and was originally implemented to kill bacteria and remove foul odors from fresh meats before marinating and cooking. While food safety and refrigeration are much improved, this method is still commonly used in Jamaican cooking. Rinse chicken with lime juice or vinegar before marinating to follow the traditional preparation of this recipe.

Marinating the Chicken

• Chicken must be marinated for at least an hour or as much as overnight in the refrigerator to lock in flavor before cooking. A combination of onions, tomatoes, garlic, thyme and pepper is the most common marinade, though several variations of this marinade are possible. Because it will serve a dual purpose as the gravy as well as the marinade, do not dispose of this mixture once you are done marinating the chicken, as you will use it later to form the basis of your stew.

Creating the Dish

• Brown marinated chicken in a large Dutch oven in batches so as not to crowd the pan. Remove chicken from the pan as you go, setting it aside on a plate. Once all the chicken is browned, saute the tomato, onion and spice marinade briefly in butter until the onions become translucent. Add the chicken back into the pot with its juices. Stir in coconut milk, flour and a chili and simmer the stew for 20 to 30 minutes until chicken is cooked through and tender.

Brown Stew Chicken Tips

• To create a truly brown stew, gravy browning powder must be used and should be added when you place the marinade in the pot to cook. A Scotch bonnet chili is most commonly used when making this dish; however, for less heat, you can substitute a milder pepper such as a jalapeno. The flavor of brown chicken stew improves over the course of a day; make ahead, refrigerate and reheat to enjoy this dish at its finest.