Dinner · West African
Spicy Chicken Stew
A rich red pepper stew with chicken that falls off the bone.
- Prep
- 15 mins
- Cook
- 55 mins
- Total
- 1 hr 10 mins
- Servings
- 6
- Difficulty
- Medium
This is the pot that sits on the stove all weekend and somehow tastes better every time you come back to it. Bone-in chicken does the heavy lifting here, releasing collagen and flavour into a thick pepper base as it simmers.
It is forgiving. If the heat is too much, more tomato softens it. If it tastes flat, it almost always needs salt and another ten minutes.
Instructions
-
Pat the chicken dry and season it all over with the salt, black pepper, thyme and curry powder. Let it sit for 15 minutes at room temperature.
-
Heat the searing oil in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken in batches, about 4 minutes per side, until deeply golden. Do not crowd the pot. Set the chicken aside.
Sear in batches — a crowded pan steams instead of browning. -
Blend the tomatoes, bell peppers, scotch bonnets and half the onion until smooth.
-
Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of fat from the pot. Add the stew oil and the diced onion, and cook for 5 minutes until softened.
-
Add the garlic and ginger, cook for 1 minute until fragrant, then stir in the tomato paste and fry for 3 minutes until it darkens.
-
Pour in the blended pepper mixture along with the bay leaves, thyme and crumbled stock cube. Simmer uncovered over medium-low heat for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until thick and the oil rises to the surface.
-
Return the chicken and any resting juices to the pot, nestling the pieces into the sauce. Cover and simmer gently for 20 to 25 minutes, until the chicken is tender and pulls easily from the bone.
Nestle the chicken back in once the base has thickened. -
Taste and adjust the salt. Let the stew rest off the heat for 10 minutes before serving so the sauce settles and thickens.
Tips from our kitchen
- The browned bits left in the pot after searing are pure flavour. Let the onions release them as they cook.
- For less heat, remove the seeds and white pith from the scotch bonnets before blending — most of the burn lives there.
- The stew thickens considerably as it cools. Loosen leftovers with a splash of water when reheating.
- It keeps for 4 days refrigerated and freezes well for up to 3 months.
