Trinidadian Style Chicken Recipes

TRINIDAD STEWED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Prepare Green seasoning marinade:.
• Put all the seasoning ingredients into your blender or food processor and process dry or with a minimum amount of water. Store in the fridge, in a glass jar, for up to a week. Or add some more water and some vinegar if you want to keep it longer. Sorry I can't offer definite measurements. I usually just eyeball this.
• Trinidadians use this all purpose mix to season just about any kind of meat. It keeps well in the fridge and we usually make a fresh batch of this once a week.
• 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.
• Heat oil in a heavy pot, add sugar and garlic and let caramelize. Stir once or twice so that the garlic doesn't burn.
• 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.
• 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 and watery the chicken will not caramelize.
• 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:=)No this never happened to me before LOL.
• 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.
• When chicken is nice and brown, add the Worcestershire sauce, the Maggi cube and 2 cups cup or more of water to cover the chicken or two cups of broth.
• 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.
• Cook on medium heat until chicken is tender.
• Once the chicken is cooked, let liquid dry out until the sauce in the pot is no longer watery.
• Serve with hot rice, salad or vegetables.
• Variations: You can add a 1/4 cup pumpkin cut in small cubes after you brown the chicken if you want a slightly thicker sauce.

CURRIED CHICKEN (TRINIDAD STYLE)

Steps:

• Cut chicken into small pieces and season with garlic, green seasoning, salt and hot pepper.
• Marinate for 30 minutes or more.
• Heat oil in an iron pot or skillet.
• Mix curry powder with 1/4 cup of water until smooth; add to hot oil and cook 2 minutes.
• Add chicken and stir to coat in curry; cook until all water dries out; stir well (about 10 mins).
• Add tomatoes and onion; cook for a minute; stir in 1/2 cup hot water.
• Lower heat to medium; cover and cook until meat is tender; add more water if more sauce is necessary.
• Adjust salt and hot pepper.

TRINIDAD STEWED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Place chicken on a plate. Sprinkle the green onion, cilantro, garlic, onion, salt and pepper over it. Cover, and marinate for 30 minutes.
• Heat the vegetable oil in a deep pot over medium heat. Stir in the sugar, and cook until the sugar has melted into a nice golden brown syrup. Add the chicken pieces, and brown quickly while turning continuously. Cover the pot, and let it cook for 2 minutes.
• Pour in 1 cup of water, coconut milk and pepper flakes. Replace the lid, and cook over medium heat for 10 minutes. Stir in the ketchup and butter. Continue cooking until chicken is fork tender, 20 to 30 minutes. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper if needed. Serve chicken with the sauce in the pot as a gravy.

TRINI STYLE CHICKEN

Steps:

• Stir together the garlic powder, salt, cayenne pepper, and sazon seasoning in a shallow dish. Coat chicken pieces with this mixture.
• Heat a Dutch oven or heavy skillet with a lid over medium heat for at least 3 minutes. Sprinkle the sugar over the bottom of the pan, and stir gently until it becomes liquid and caramelizes. Add the chicken, cover, and cook for about 25 minutes.
• Remove cover, and cook for another 15 to 20 minutes, letting the juices cook down until they are almost gone. Add the bok choy, and cook just until wilted.

TRINIDADIAN-STYLE CHICKEN

Steps:

• For the marinade: Place the garlic, shallots, onions, parsley, and vegetable oil in a food processor, and puree. Transfer the garlic mixture to a container, and set aside. For the chicken: Put the chicken pieces in a bowl and add half of the Amise marinade, cover, and marinate in the refrigerator for a maximum of 24 hours. In a wide-based pan, heat the sugar and vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Swirl the glaze until the sugar caramelizes and browns, approximately 7 to 10 minutes. As soon as the sugar caramelizes, add the chicken pieces, in one layer skin-side down and brown the chicken on all sides, about approximately 5 minutes. Add the onion, chile, plantain, tomatoes, and Worcestershire sauce to the pan, and stir. Pour in the chicken stock, and bring the ingredients to a boil. Add in the reserved marinade and reduce the heat to medium. Cook for 30 to 40 minutes, and season the dish with salt, to taste. Turn off the heat. Transfer the chicken to a serving plate and garnish with the cilantro leaves just before serving.

TRINIDADIAN CHICKEN STEW

Steps:

• In a heavy bottomed 4-quart saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the sugar and cook, stirring occasionally, until very dark, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the chicken pieces, ginger, 1 teaspoon of salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently until the chicken is brown, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and break up with a wooden spoon. Add the thyme, 2 tablespoons of parsley, carrots, potatoes, and hot water. Cover the pan and simmer until the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender, about 40 to 45 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Transfer to serving bowls and garnish with the remaining parsley.

DAD'S CURRIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Place the chicken pieces in a bowl and toss with the lime juice. Drain, rinse the chicken with cold water, and drain again. Remove the chicken from the bowl and pat dry with paper towels.
• Place the chicken in another bowl with the Green Seasoning, salt, chili pepper, and garlic. Toss well to coat and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes but ideally overnight.
• Combine the curry powder with just enough water to form a thick paste. Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed pot. Add the curry paste and onion. Cook, stirring constantly, for 1 to 2 minutes over medium-low heat-do not allow the curry to scorch. Add the chicken pieces and stir well to coat. Add the stock or water, cover, and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes, or until the chicken is tender.
• Remove the lid and simmer for 5 minutes more over medium-high heat, until the sauce reduces by one-third. Serve with roti or white rice.