Caribbean chicken with rice and peas
Look for very ripe plantains to make this taste of the Caribbean: rum chicken, rice and peas, tropical slaw and fried plantain.
Ingredients
For the chicken
- ½ onion
- ½ tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 4 thyme sprigs, leaves picked
- 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 2 tbsp finely chopped parsley
- 4 tbsp rapeseed oil
- ½ Scotch bonnet chilli, finely chopped
- 1 tsp ground paprika
- ½ tsp allspice
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- pinch freshly grated nutmeg
- 4 chicken thighs, skin on, bone in
- 75ml/2½fl oz rum
- 200ml/7fl oz chicken stock
- 4 tbsp honey, to glaze
For the rice and peas
- 150–200g/5½–7oz tinned black-eyed beans, drained
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 onion, peeled, cut in half
- 2 bay leaves
- 500g/1lb 2oz jasmine or basmati rice
- 400ml/14fl oz coconut milk
For the slaw
- 1 green papaya or mango, peeled and finely sliced
- 150g/5½oz mangetout, finely sliced
- 4–6 spring onions, finely chopped
- 1 sour green apple, grated
- 1–2 limes, juice only
- 1 red chilli, finely chopped
- 2cm/¾in fresh root ginger, peeled and grated
- 2 tbsp finely chopped fresh coriander
- pinch caster sugar
- 50g–100g/1¾oz–3½oz peanuts, roughly chopped
For the fried plantain
Method
For the chicken, blend the onion in a food processor or blender until smooth. Tip into a shallow dish large enough to hold all the chicken thighs. Add the coriander, cumin, thyme, garlic, parsley, rapeseed oil, chilli, paprika, allspice, soy sauce and nutmeg and stir well. Add the chicken to the dish and brush the marinade all over the chicken. Cover and set aside.
Put the black-eyed beans in a pan with the thyme, onion, bay leaves, rice and coconut milk. Reduce to a low heat and cover, and cook until all the liquid has evaporated and the rice is cooked through and fluffy.
Preheat the oven to 190C/170C Fan/Gas 5.
Roast the chicken for 25–30 minutes turning at least once. Pour over the honey and turn up the heat to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6 and cook for a further 10 minutes, or until the chicken is browned and completely cooked through.
Remove the chicken from the oven, carefully pour off the juice into a small pan. Add the rum and reduce by half. Pour in the stock and reduce again until you have a gravy consistency. Keep the chicken warm.
For the slaw, combine all ingredients and mix thoroughly.
For the fried plantain, heat the oil in a deep-fat fryer (CAUTION: hot oil can be dangerous. Do not leave unattended.) Either shallow fry the plantain until crisp on the outside, or else carefully lower the plantain into the hot oil and deep-fry. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper.
Serve the chicken with the gravy, rice and peas, slaw and fried plantain on the side.
