The Ultimate Jamaican Brown Stew Chicken

Tap an ingredient or step to check it off.

1. 1Step 1: Season the chicken with the black pepper, salt, dry jerk rub, paprika, pimento berries (allspice), Caribbean browning, onion, soy sauce, carrots, scallions, thyme, bell peppers, garlic, ginger and scotch bonnet. Give it a good mix.
2. 2Step 2: Allow it to marinate for at least a couple hours or overnight if you have the time.
3. 3Step 3: After it's marinated, heat the oil in a deep pot on a medium flame. Shake the marinade off the chicken pieces and brown in the hot oil. We're not trying to fully cook the chicken, but to simply give it some color. Do it in batches so you don't crowd the pot. Reserve all the marinade in the bowl.
4. 4Step 4: Give them about 8-10 minutes, be sure to flip them so they brown evenly.
5. 5Step 5: Once you're done browning the chicken, remove (and discard) all but 1 tablespoon of the oil we started with and add back all the chunky vegetables etc we marinated the chicken with, into the pot. In the same bowl we marinated the chicken, add the water and swish around.
6. 6Step 6: 3 minutes later it's time to add back the browned chicken to the pot (including any juices) along with the water from the bowl we marinated the chicken in.
7. 7Step 7: As it starts to come to a boil it's time to add the tomato ketchup and the diced tomato. Reduce to between a simmer and rolling boil (med/low heat) to fully cook the chicken. I didn't cover the pot (while you could), as I wanted a thick gravy at the end. Be sure to stir every 4-5 minutes.
8. 8Step 8: After about 15-20 minutes (depending on how big the pieces of chicken were that you used) the chicken should be done, so it's time to personalize things.
9. 9Step 9: Taste and adjust the salt to your liking and determine if the gravy is as thick as you'd like. Keep in mind that the residual heat from the pot will further cook this as it cools.