Trinidadian chicken pelau

Trinidad's great one-pot: chicken browned in caramelised sugar, then cooked with rice, pigeon peas, coconut milk, carrot and herbs. A beach-day and family-gathering classic that feeds a crowd.

Ingredients

• 700 g Chicken thighs, boneless and skinless, cut into chunks
• 0.3 Garlic, crushed
• 15 g Fresh coriander, chopped (in place of shado beni)
• 4 Spring onions, chopped
• 2 g Dried thyme
• 0.5 Lemons, juiced
• 5 g Salt
• 30 ml Vegetable oil
• 30 g Soft brown sugar
• 1 Onions, chopped
• 1 Peppers, diced
• 200 g Carrots, diced
• 350 g Basmati rice, rinsed
• 240 g Kidney beans, drained (or pigeon peas if you can find them)
• 400 ml Coconut milk
• 30 g Ketchup
• 1 Fresh chillies, Scotch bonnet, whole
• 1 Chicken stock cubes, made up with 400ml hot water

Method

1. Mix the chicken with the garlic, half the coriander, half the spring onions, thyme, lemon juice and salt.
2. Heat the oil in a large heavy casserole, add the sugar and let it bubble until it turns a dark amber.
3. Add the chicken (stand back, it spits) and stir until every piece is coated and browned.
4. Add the onion, pepper and carrots and cook for a few minutes, then stir in the rice to coat it.
5. Add the beans, coconut milk, ketchup, stock and the whole Scotch bonnet. Bring to the boil, cover tightly and cook on a low heat until the rice is tender, stirring once halfway.
6. Remove the Scotch bonnet, stir in the rest of the coriander and spring onions and serve.