Allspice Porch · Main dishes

One-Pot Chicken Pelau with Pigeon Peas

Name: One-Pot Chicken Pelau with Pigeon Peas
Total time: 70 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 700 g Boneless skinless chicken thighs; 300 g Long grain rice; 240 g Canned pigeon peas; 1 whole Onion; 3 clove Garlic; 8 g Fresh thyme; 1 whole Carrot; 1 whole Bell pepper; 200 ml Canned coconut milk; 400 ml Low-sodium chicken stock; 2 tbsp Brown sugar; 1 tbsp Neutral oil; 1.25 tsp Salt; 0.5 tsp Black pepper; 3 whole Green onions; 1 whole Scotch bonnet pepper; 0.5 tsp Ground allspice; 2 whole Bay leaves; 100 ml Water

Chicken, rice and pigeon peas cooked in one pot, the grains coloured with caramelized sugar and scented with coconut and thyme. A Trinidadian-leaning house pelau, not a single island’s recipe.

70 minutes · Medium · 4 servings

Original house recipe · Not yet kitchen-tested

Ingredients

Boneless skinless chicken thighs700 g
Long grain rice300 g
Canned pigeon peas240 g
Onion1 whole
Garlic3 clove
Fresh thyme8 g
Carrot1 whole
Bell pepper1 whole
Canned coconut milk200 ml
Low-sodium chicken stock400 ml
Brown sugar2 tbsp
Neutral oil1 tbsp
Salt1.25 tsp
Black pepper0.5 tsp
Green onions3 whole
Scotch bonnet pepper1 whole
Ground allspice0.5 tsp
Bay leaves2 whole
Water100 ml

Quantities describe recipe usage, not package sizes.

Allergen notes

Coconut (coconut milk).

Method

Prep the pot

Cut the chicken into large chunks and toss with 0.5 tsp of the salt and the black pepper. Dice the onion, carrot and bell pepper. Mince the garlic and slice the green onions. Rinse the rice. Drain and rinse the pigeon peas. Stem the scotch bonnet but leave it whole, and slit it once if you want the heat to come out. Wear gloves. Wash your hands after handling the raw chicken.

Caramelize the sugar and brown the chicken

Warm the oil and brown sugar in a heavy pot over medium heat, stirring, until the sugar melts and turns a deep amber, about 2–3 minutes. Stop before it smokes and turns black. Add the chicken and stir for 3–4 minutes, until the pieces are coated and coloured. They will not be cooked through yet.

Add the rice and liquid

Stir in the onion, carrot, pepper and garlic for 3 minutes. Add the rice and allspice and stir for 1 minute. Pour in the coconut milk, stock and water, then add the pigeon peas, thyme sprigs, bay leaves, scotch bonnet and the remaining 0.75 tsp salt. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook on low for 20–25 minutes.

Check the chicken and rest

Health Canada’s safe internal temperature for poultry pieces is 74°C (165°F). Check the thickest piece of chicken, then check that the rice is tender. If the chicken is at 74°C and the rice is still firm, keep the lid on for 5 minutes more; the chicken can go past 74°C. If the pot is dry before the rice is done, add a spoon of water. Rest, covered, for 10 minutes. Remove the bay leaves, thyme stems and scotch bonnet. Fluff and scatter with the green onions.

The sugar should look like dark honey, not charcoal. Bitter pelau is almost always burnt sugar. Check the chicken even though it is buried in rice; steam can leave a thick piece behind.

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