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Episode 125

Chicken Pelau

Recipe Courtesy: Sweet and Sorrel

Ingredients
2 lbs chicken thighs skin and fat removed
2 tbsp green seasoning (Recipe Below)
1 packet Sazon seasoning
2 tbsp Adobo seasoning
1/2 yellow onion
3 stalks green onion (scallion), roughly chopped
1/4 tsp liquid browning optional
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 large carrot, diced (about 1/2 cup)
1 can green pigeon peas, rinsed and drained (or canned lentils)
2 cups chicken stock (more if needed)
2 cups long grain rice washed and strained
1/2 cup coconut milk room temperature
1 scotch bonnet pepper
1 tbsp neutral cooking oil (e.g. canola)
1 tsp Golden Ray butter (or salted butter) optional
chopped cilantro and green onions, for garnish

Instructions
Prep the chicken.

Thoroughly clean chicken, then remove skin and fat.

Add Adobo seasoning, Sazon packet, onion, green onions, and fresh green seasoning. 

For color, you can also add some liquid browning (optional). Using your hands, massage the seasoning into the chicken, making sure all the pieces are fully coated. Cover and marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours, but preferably over night.

Add oil to a large skillet/saute pan (that can be covered) or a large cast iron braiser over medium heat. Add brown sugar and heat until sugar starts to bubble up. Once sugar melts and turns an amber color, add chicken. Stir the chicken to ensure that it gets coated with the sugar. Chicken should be a dark brown. Cook chicken for about 10 minutes on medium high heat. Chicken will release its juices into the pot.
Drain pigeon peas (or lentils) and rinse off any excess canned water. Add peas and diced carrots to pot. Cover and cook on medium-high until the liquid in the pot dries up.
Rinse rice repeatedly with water until water is no longer cloudy. Drain any excess water from the rice and add to the pot. Pour in room temperature coconut milk and stir everything together. Add room temperature chicken stock and whole scotch bonnet pepper (if you leave the pepper whole, it won’t add any spice to the rice). Cover and bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer.
[NOTE: Depending on the type of pot you are using, you may have to add your liquid in intervals. You also may need to add more or less liquid depending on whether you like a wet or dry pelau. This recipe is on the dry side, so if you want a “wet” pelau, add a bit more stock (about 1/4th cup) and place some foil over pot before putting on the pot cover to allow the rice to steam.]

Cook for 25-30 minutes, or until your rice is just a bit al dente. Then remove scotch bonnet pepper and add golden ray butter, chopped green onions, and chopped cilantro. Turn off heat. Let pot remain covered on the stove for 10 minutes to allow the residual heat to finish cooking the rice.

Green Seasoning

Ingredients
8 scallions or green onions
1 bunch cilantro
1/2 bunch parsley
8-10 culantro leaves (optional)
13-15 garlic cloves
12-13 sprigs of thyme
½ red bell pepper
½ yellow bell pepper
½ green bell pepper
1-2 Scotch Bonnet peppers
2 cubanelle peppers (I used carribean yellow)
¼ inch ginger
¼ cup fresh lemon juice

Instructions
Wash all herbs and peppers and pat them dry with pepper towel.
Roughly chop all the ingredients, except lemon, and mix them together in a bowl.
Blend everything, along with lemon juice and ½ cup of water, in a food processor in batches. Add more water if needed. Scrape down from the sides if needed. Blend till you get desired consistency. 
Store it in clean air tight mason jars and refrigerate or freeze and use as needed.