Stewed chicken is a favourite with Trinidadians and Tobagonians. It is served with plain white rice or ground provisions

Ingredients

3 lbs chicken pieces
3-4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 medium onion
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons oil
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 maggi chicken bouillon cube, and 2 cups water (or 2 cups chicken broth)
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce or fresh scothch bonnet (DO NOT use tabasco sauce. Any hot or mild Caribbean pepper sauce is fine.) (optional)
1 tablespoon coconut cream (optional)
1 tomato, rough chopped (optional)
1 tablespoon Angostura bitters (optional)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (optional)
5 tablespoons of Chief Green Seasoning

Preparation

1. Season chicken with Angustora bitters, green seasoning, salt and black pepper and leave to marinate in the fridge for 1/2 hour or longer if you have the time.The longer it marinates the more flavour this adds.

2. Heat oil in a heavy pot, add sugar and garlic and let caramelize. Stir once or twice so that the garlic doesn't burn.

3. The sugar will go from the colour of peanut butter to a bubbling, dark, reddish brown. When the outer edges start to turn an even darker brown , add all the chicken to the pot.

4. Do not stir. Let the water generated by the addtion of the chicken dry out some and give chicken a chance to caramelize. Turn chicken and let rest again for the other side to caramelize. Reapeat this process, turning chicken occasionally so that it browns on all sides. If the sauce at this point looks a little bit gooey you are on the right track. You may need to add a few tablespoons of water during this process if it seems that the sauce is drying out too quickly but keep it at this thickened stage until the chicken is brown. If your sauce is too thin the chicken will not caramelize.

5. TIP: It takes a while for the sugar to get to the dark colour you are looking for. Do not walk away while browning the sugar. Once brown you'd be surprised how quickly it goes to black leaving you with a bitter charred mess that dries hard and ruins your pot and your spoon.

6. Don't rush this stage. Let the liquid dry out, turning chicken occasionally so that it browns on all sides. If water is added too soon the brown colour will wash right off. The chicken will be too pale.

7. When chicken is nice and brown, add the Worcestershire sauce, the Maggi cube and 2 cups or more of water or chicken broth is added and left to simmer.

8. Add hot pepper sauce; cover pot and bring to a boil. Remove the pot cover part of the way as you want the liquid to start drying up but not so quickly that the chicken doesn't have time to cook. If liquid dries out too quickly you can always add more water.

9. Cook on medium heat until chicken is tender.

10. Once the chicken is cooked, let liquid dry out until the sauce is thick.

11.Serve with hot rice, salad or ground provisions or vegetables.

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