Grandma Bea's Brown Stew Chicken

Prep Time:

45 minutes

Cook Time:

2 hours

Serves:

4-6

Level:

Intermediate

About the Recipe

Don't skimp on the spice with this one! For an extra dash of Bea, try using Hungarian paprika in lieu of regular. It'll pack a sweeter, smokier punch.

Ingredients

Grandma Bea’s spice blend marinade:

1 Tbs Hungarian paprika

2 tsp ground pepper

¾ tsp ground allspice

¼ tsp ground nutmeg

¼ tsp ground ginger

¼ tsp cayenne pepper

7 ea whole cloves

Brown Stew Chicken:

1 ea 5 lb whole chicken, cut into at least 10 pieces across the bone

1 ea lime

2 Tbs distilled white vinegar

1½ Tbs kosher salt

1 ea large yellow onion

6 ea garlic cloves

1 ea green bell pepper

1 ea red bell pepper

2 ea large carrots

3 ea celery ribs

1 Tbs canola oil

½ c demerara sugar

To Serve:

1 lb green beans, sautéed or steamed

tt cooked jasmine rice

Preparation

In a small bowl, combine the ingredients for the spice blend. Divide into 2, and set aside.

Place the chicken in a large baking dish or bowl. Cut the lime in half, and squeeze over the chicken, then quickly massage it in. Pour the vinegar over the top, then rinse the chicken in cold water. Pat the chicken dry, and place in a large bowl or baking dish.

Season the chicken with the salt and half of the spice blend, making sure the chicken is well-coated, and let it marinate at room temperature for at least 30 minutes, but you can let it sit overnight in the fridge.

While the chicken is marinating, slice the onion, garlic, and bell peppers and place in a large bowl. Chop the celery into wide slices, and the carrots diagonally about ½ inch thick. Add to the bowl.

To begin cooking the stew chicken, place a large saute pan or pot over medium high heat. Check the heat of the pot by hovering your hand over the bottom, and have the chicken and prepped veggies close by.

When the pan is nice and hot, add in the canola oil, and let it come up to temperature. Stir in the sugar rapidly, letting it bubble, brown, and dissolve into the oil. Continue to mix until it begins to darken, a couple of minutes, then immediately stir the chicken in. Toss in the browned sugar to coat, letting the chicken cook in the sugar for a minute or so.

Fold in the veggies, followed by the remaining spice blend, then lower the heat to medium low and cover. Uncover and stir about every 10 minutes, keeping an eye on the sugar so that it doesn’t burn and adjusting the heat if necessary, and cook for 30 - 45 minutes, until the chicken begins to fall off the bone.

Serve with cooked jasmine rice and green beans on top.