Caribbean Coconut Chicken Stew

Before I ever had the chance to truly experience Caribbean Cuisine, the only things I could relate to were Jamaican Jerk Chicken, which is amazing if the the marinade is made just right, Rice and Peas, and derivatives of Indo-African ‘curries.’ Fortunately, I increased my otherwise rather limited exposure because of two major events:

1) I surreptitiously stumbled upon Tyler Florence’s recipe for Jamaican Corn Porridge.  Do not take the name at face value! Despite the simplicity of its ingredients, this ‘porridge’ is sumptuous! Whoever thought hominy corn and coconut milk would go so well together! When I’m old and toothless, I wouldn’t mind being sloppy over such a scrumptious meal!

2) Of the many noteworthy ethnic cuisine based restaurants in Vancouver, ‘The Reef‘ continues to make it to the top of my list. Initially, I used to fill up on their amazing appetizers and their complimentary Johnny Cakes, which, together with their coconut and orange butter and their truly out-of-this-world in-house hot sauce, would be enough to overwhelm even the most robust of appetites, and not in a bad way! Nonetheless, the one time I decided to forgo the appetizers to try something new, I ended up trying their “Island Thyme Chicken” – which was spectacular! Nothing too complicated – tender chicken breast, marinated in coconut milk with Jamaican thyme and other herbs and spices – but it was this particular combination of flavors that truly makes you go “mmmmmmmmm…” wanting more and more with each bite…

Having thus developed a craving for such tastiness, while realizing the impracticality of frequenting ‘The Reef’ and looking for hominy corn in the markets close by, I decided to combine the best of both influences by creating my own Caribbean influenced Coconut Chicken Stew, as given below. Once again, my recipe does not use precise proportions for any ingredient, so feel free to make your own approximations based on your own preferences.

Ingredients (To serve 4):

– 4 Large boneless and skinless chicken breasts (or 8 – 10 chicken thighs), cut into bite size pieces

– 2 cans of coconut milk

– 1 large Spanish onion (or regular yellow onion), diced

– 1 piece of ginger (4-5 inches), finely grated

– 2-3 celery stalks, finely sliced

– 2-3 tbsp cumin powder

– 2-3 bay leaves

– 2-3 sprigs of fresh thyme (or 2-3 tbsp dried thyme)

– 1-2 tsp allspice

– 2 cups frozen Golden / sweet Corn (or peas, if you prefer)

– 2 cups pre-soaked Black beans (optional – I use these here, so it becomes a one-pot meal. You can serve the stew with rice instead)

– LOTS of freshly ground black pepper

– Salt

– Oil (Olive oil is not recommended, since the flavor would be lost / overwhelmed)

Directions:

1) In a large pot, add just enough oil to coat all the onions and celery, and cook on medium, till onions have softened.

2) Add bay leaves, ginger and cumin powder. Continue cooking and stirring for a couple more minutes on medium.

3) Add thyme, allspice and coconut milk, and continue cooking for another minute, stirring constantly. Add plenty of pepper, and salt to taste (This step is crucial, since most of the ‘tropical’ flavor here depends on the freshness and quantity of herbs/spices being used… but feel free to add more/less as you please)

4) Add chicken, cover, and cook for 8-10 minutes, until it is almost fully cooked, but still tender.

5) Remove lid and continue cooking on low, to let the stew thicken. Add the corn (or peas) and beans at this point (the salt content would cause the beans to harden, if added earlier), and cook for another 2-3 minutes.

6) By this time, the coconut milk should have reduced down to a thick, rich stew. Garnish with more fresh thyme and pepper, and serve (with cooked rice on the side).

I came up with this recipe somewhat accidentally, since I did not have everything on hand to make a proper Thai Red Curry with chicken… but remembering my previous cravings, I combined together the Caribbean flavors I was most familiar with. In my opinion, the onions and celery, along with cumin, lend an almost Cajun influenced mirepoix (you could consider adding some green peppers and carrots to this mix to complete the experience) like flavor. The slight pungency of ginger and allspice, along with the neutral notes of thyme and bay leaf balance the subtle sweetness of coconut milk. Seasoning this creamy base with plenty of pepper spices up the stew, while the salt allows all other flavors to come to the surface. As if comforting aroma of the cooked chicken, pepper and coconut milk is not enough, the juicy sweetness of the corn and the earthy mouthfeel of the black beans makes this meal truly appealing for all the senses – taste, aroma, texture and colors! Try this out, and I’m sure you’ll be sinking into a satisfied food coma with every spoonful 🙂

 

My ‘Perfect’ Peanut Sauce

I once stumbled across noted Food Network chef Michael Smith’s signature peanut sauce recipe, and I was quite disappointed – I know he has traveled and tasted many great things across the world, and his recipe seems like an utter injustice to all his training. Personally, I’m not a big fan of his culinary concoctions – to me, his recipes seem to lack in boldness and character, possibly because he is catering to a North American audience with limited, if any, exposure to flavorful food ;p I never understood how he has achieved so much acclaim in Canada, especially considering how people here are becoming increasingly adept at appreciating ‘exotic’ influences, even in the most remote and rustic (redneck) realms. Nonetheless, there is something very refreshing in his approach towards cooking – “A recipe is merely words on paper; a guideline, a starting point from which to improvise. It cannot pretend to replace the practiced hand and telling glance of a watchful cook.”  In comparison to flashier foodies, I may call him lacklustre, but what he really lacks is pretentiousness – and therein lies his undeniable charm. Simplistic though his words and recipes may seem, there is something very profoundly pleasing about his manner – “Remember, words have no flavour, you have to add your own!”

Thus inspired by Smith, I once set off on a mission – “In Search of Peanutty Perfection” – a la Heston Blumenthal (who is at the opposite end of the culinary spectrum). I have tried many different variations of peanut sauce in a variety of venues – restaurants, hawker stands, local night markets, supermarket products, friends’ mother’s cooking, to name a few – and every single variation had something unique to offer. Needless to say, in Southeast Asian cultures, where peanuts comprise a characteristic component of local cuisine, it is inevitable that each household will have its own rendition of something as ubiquitous as peanut sauce. After about a year of experimentation, I discovered that each cultural influence incorporates unique ingredients within this earthy condiment: for instance, while traditional Indonesian and Thai recipes necessitate the usage of galangal, the Chinese and Vietnamese can easily substitute the same with ginger and ginseng… the list of preferred ingredients is thus endless. Each regional variant seems to successfully complement the respective dishes and delicacies. Since I do not have nearly as much time or money at my disposal as Heston Blumenthal, instead of engaging in further research, I arrived at the premature conclusion that there is no such thing as ‘the perfect peanut sauce’ – presumed perfection is relative, at best.

That being said, to the average North American (read as non-urban, and thus a slight contradiction of my aforementioned defending statement), the words ‘peanut sauce’ may connote something sweet and gloopy, potentially the product of microwaved processed peanut butter (yeuch!). An over simplification, or even a stereotype on my part, but I have actually witnessed inexcusable culinary crimes of this sort while living in college dorms. Perhaps I am being too harsh on my fellow students, who, while subsisting on a steady diet of instant noodles for time and budgetary concerns, are willing to forgo all sense of taste and nutrition, but come on, could one not add even a dash of soy sauce, hot sauce and vinegar… perhaps I am asking for too much from this segment of the student population, whose ambitions lie in challenging not their tastebuds but their livers by consuming copious quantities of beer (I guess I shouldn’t be too surprised that contemporary college culture puts precedence on alcohol). Not being able to withstand such blasphemy any longer, I have renewed my mission to create a recipe for a peanut sauce so ‘perfect’ that it would make even the most putrid protein (canned fish, ugh!) taste great.

From my experience, an ideal peanut sauce is all about balance of flavours. One can find recipes on the internet that range from using as few as 3 ingredients to as many as 30 – but it really does not have to be as complicated, so long as a few essential components have been properly combined. After a few trials and errors, here is my ultimate recipe (the proportions are approximates, and guided by my preference):

1)      In a saucepan, lightly sauté shredded ginger, finely chopped garlic + green onions, lime zest and  in about 1 tbsp sesame oil on medium heat.

2)      Once sautéed, add 1 tbsp soy sauce (or ½ tbsp fish sauce) and 1 tbsp honey. Reduce heat to low and mix. You can also add more lime juice for more tang.

3)      Add 3-4 tbsp of all natural chunky peanut butter (not the processed kind, since it has too much sugar and other crap in it). Stir gently to achieve smoother consistency.

4)      Now add ½ – 1 tbsp of Sriracha hot sauce (the one you see with the rooster logo).

5)      For a lighter consistency, add about 1-2 tbsp of water. For a richer flavour and creamier texture, add 1-2 tbsp of coconut milk. Keep stirring on low heat, and avoid separation.

6)      Turn off heat and let it cool.

Hopefully you will be able to taste what I have deemed a ‘perfect confluence’ of flavours – sweet (from the peanuts and the honey), smokey (from the sesame oil, and the Sriracha sauce), earthy (peanuts, garlic and ginger), slightly pungent (green onions and fish sauce), sour (lime zest and lime juice) salty (fish sauce, soy sauce), spicy (Sriracha hot sauce), and umami (if you use coconut milk). This sauce can be used as a dip on the side for satays, as a base for cooking vegetables and meats, or even poured on top of cooked noodles – just throw in some bean sprouts for even more freshness and crunch! I’m quite sure Michael Smith would be proud!

There are all sorts of variations I would like to try within this recipe itself – such as using freshly roasted and self ground peanuts instead of peanut butter, red chilli powder or chilli flakes instead Sriracha hot sauce, palm sugar instead of honey, orange zest and orange juice instead of using limes… etc, but for now, this shall suffice. I know that this ‘pursuit for perfection’ does not even compare to Heston’s calibre, but hey, I’m doing what I can to keep my tastebuds alive!

I didn't take this picture... but I'm sure my dinner would've looked just like this, if not better!

“No man in the world has more courage than the man who can stop after eating one peanut.” ~ Channing Pollock