Chicken Pelau -

Chicken Pelau

Adapted from Julie Turshen's recipe for chicken pelau in Small Victories. A great, easy, and scaleable one-pot meal. Want to make this dish vegetarian? Use thickly-sliced cremini mushrooms in place of the chicken.

Prep Time20

Cook Time50

Resting time10

Total Time1 20

Course: Main

Cuisine: Caribbean

Keyword: Julia Turshen, Small Victories

Servings:

Calories: 758kcal

Ingredients

1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon paprika
Kosher salt
1 pound (455g) boneless, skinless chicken thighs*
2 tablespoons vegetable oil or one with a high heat point, like avocado, divided
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 small yellow onion minced
2 medium carrots minced
2 small celery stalks minced
1 small green pepper cored, deseeded, deribbed, and minced
3 garlic cloves minced
1 jalapeño chile or scotch bonnet pepper** halved, seeded, and minced
4 sprigs of fresh thyme leaves only, minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste or sugar-free ketchup
13 ½ oz (400 ml can) full-fat coconut milk, shaken for richer dish, use coconut cream
1 ½ cups (360 ml) chicken broth or water
15 oz (425 g can) black-eyed peas, pigeon peas, or black beans*** rinsed and drained
1 cup long-grain brown rice**** rinsed four times, soaked 20 minutes in cool water

Instructions

Cut the chicken into 1-inch cubes. Stir the garlic powder, paprika, and 1 teaspoon Kosher salt together in a large bowl. Add the chicken to the spices, rub the spices onto the chicken pieces to coat. Cover and set aside.
Seriously: Turn on the exhaust fan over your stove and open all the windows in your kitchen and adjoining rooms.
Heat 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil in a heavy-duty large pot over medium heat. When it starts to shimmer, add the brown sugar. Cook, stirring constantly, until the sugar completely dissolves in the oil and becomes a deep, bubbly brown, about 4 minutes.
Immediately add the chicken pieces to the caramelized sugar and cook, stirring occasionally, until the pieces are deeply brown all over, about 4 minutes.
Reduce the heat to medium-low, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil, all the minced vegetables (onion, carrot, celery, bell pepper, garlic, hot pepper), thyme, and a large pinch of salt. Continue sauteing and stirring occasionally until the vegetables soften, about 10 minutes.
Add the rice to the pot, stirring it into the veggies to coat the grains, about 1 minute. Add the tomato paste (or ketchup), coconut milk, and water, stir together and scrape up any bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Turn the heat up to bring the mixture to a boil.
When the mixture boils, add the black-eyed peas (if using) and another pinch of salt, stir together, then reduce the heat to low, cover the pan, and simmer for 30-40 minutes or until the rice is tender.
Turn the heat off, leave the pot cover on, and let the pelau rest 10 minutes.
If you used the whole scotch bonnet, remove and compost it. Season the chicken pelau to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Notes

* I think chicken thighs are a better choice than chicken breasts here, but pelau can be made with virtually any protein, and the style of cooking will ensure that your cut of meat stays nice and tender. Not a meat eater? Use 1 lb of sliced cremini mushrooms in place of the chicken for their umami flavor.
**Julia's recipe calls for the low-heat jalapeno, while traditional recipes call for scotch bonnet or bird's eye chile peppers. Choose whatever chile pepper best suits your palate.
***Can't find pigeon peas or black-eyed peas in a can? Either make your own (by soaking them overnight and then cooking them), substitute in black beans, or skip these altogether.
****Julia's recipe calls for long-grain white rice. If you chose to go this route, you only need to cook the rice about 20 minutes, then turn off the heat and let sit while covered 10 minutes.

Nutrition