Trinidad Chicken Stew Recipe From Chef Sedesh Boodram
The Hot and Hot Fish Club sous chef shares a family recipe
When we asked Sedesh Boodram, sous chef at Hot and Hot Fish Club in Birmingham, Alabama, for a favorite family recipe, he consulted his most discerning customer, his five-year-old daughter, Delilah. She selected a Trinidadian chicken stew, a staple recipe of the Caribbean island where Boodram grew up and a dish he remembers his mother cooking for him.
Blame Thomas Keller if Boodram's version is more refined than the one he grew up eating: Boodram's first job out of culinary school was at Keller's Per Se, where he worked before relocating to Birmingham three years ago to be closer to his partner's family while they raised their daughter. The healthy, one-pot braised-chicken dish cooks in 35 minutes; Boodram serves it with brown rice for a complete meal that even a kid would love.
Recipe adapted from Sedesh Boodram, Hot and Hot Fish Club, Birmingham, AL
Trinidad Chicken Stew
Sedesh Boodram | Trinidad Chicken Stew
Ingredients
- Boneless, skinless chicken thighs, 2 pounds (cut into 2-inch pieces)
- Tomato, 1 large (cored and finely chopped)
- Yellow onion, 1 medium (finely chopped)
- Garlic, 2 medium cloves (peeled and very finely chopped)
- Scallions, 12 (green and white parts only, thinly sliced on a bias; about ¾ cup)
- Cilantro, ½ of a large bunch (leaves and stems from ¼ bunch finely chopped, about 3 tablespoons; plus the whole leaves from the remaining ¼ bunch, about ¼ cup of leaves)
- Fresh thyme, 20 sprigs (leaves picked from stems and finely chopped, about 1 tablespoon)
- Fine sea salt, 1 tablespoon plus 1½ teaspoons
- Freshly ground black pepper, 2 teaspoons
- Sweet paprika, ¼ teaspoon
- Grapeseed oil, ¼ cup
- Light brown sugar, 2 tablespoons (lightly packed)
- Chicken broth, 3 cups
- Pinto beans, one 15-ounce can (drained and rinsed)
- Cooked long-grain brown rice, 4 cups
- Sriracha chile sauce, for serving
Directions
- In a large mixing bowl, add the: Chopped chicken thighs Chopped tomato Chopped yellow onion Chopped garlic ½ cup of the sliced scallions Chopped cilantro Chopped thyme leaves Fine sea salt Freshly ground black pepper Sweet paprika Combine using a wooden spoon and set aside for 10 minutes.
- In a large pot set over medium heat, add the: Grapeseed oil Once the oil begins to shimmer, after about 2 minutes, add the: Light brown sugar Stir occasionally, until the sugar begins to bubble and turn into a dark brown caramel, 2 to 4 minutes. Remove the marinated chicken from the bowl and add it to the pot, stirring occasionally to brown the chicken, 10 to 12 minutes. Add the: Chicken broth Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce the temperature to medium-low. Stir in the: Rinsed pinto beans Cook until the pinto beans are warmed through, about 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and use a ladle or slotted spoon to transfer the chicken to a plate. Serve the stew over the: Cooked brown rice Over the top of the stew, sprinkle the: Whole cilantro leaves Remaining ¼ cup of sliced scallions Serve with the: Sriracha chile sauce