Curry Chicken... good can't done

Because curry chicken stew, that’s what it is, is so common in Jamaica, most people eat this stew at least once a week.  And, not surprisingly, the several different ways of preparing this delicious fare is not lacking.

From house to house the varying flavors, stew-density, and aroma, makes it impossible to pinpoint any one preparation method to please the palate.

The beautiful stories you hear from different cooks, extolling one curry chicken cooking style over another, is really cool. Yah Mon! Amidst the passion, surety, and confidence, some cooks will swear that their granny is the best cook when it comes to this chicken dish.

However, you’ll hear that to replicate granny’s recipe is near to nil, because the ingredients we’re using today are different from granny’s days. I can understand that position as well but I don’t completely agree. Yet, I must confess when I was told to add tomato ketchup and jerk seasoning to give the stew a kick I was surprised. Oh yeah!

And, to add insult to injury, I now see packaged jerk curry on the supermarket shelves…Yah Mon!

So, take this recipe as you see it as only one method.


Curry Chicken

Ingredients:

  1. 1-2 ¼ lb. Chicken
  2. 4 oz Blue Mountain Curry Powder
  3. Onion Powder
  4. 2 tblsp. Salt
  5. ½ oz. Garlic Powder
  6. 2 oz Cooking Oil
  7. ½ oz. Vinegar
  8. 4 oz Water
  9. Optional Items:
  10. 1 Potato (cut in eight pieces)
  11. ½ oz Black Pepper
  12. 1 sprg. Thyme


Method:


  • Cut chicken into 8 pieces, or more if you so desire, wash with vinegar and water in a pot or kitchen sink.
  • Combine chicken with all ingredients and rub together until curry powder is wet and sticks to the chicken.
  • Turn your heat on high, heat the cooking oil in a large iron skillet with 2 tablespoon of curry powder until the oil is hot and curry powder changes color.
  • Add chicken to the hot oil, then turn down the heat to medium, add the water immediately.
  • Add diced potato then cover the pot and simmer. Stir the ingredients in the pot then taste the gravy, after fifteen minutes.
  • If you need to add anything more like salt to bring it to taste, now is the time. 
  • Add the 1 sprig of thyme and black pepper to the ingredients in the pot. Allow to simmer until chicken is moist and tender.
  • This stew can be served with bread, pasta, white rice, rice and beans, mashed potatoes, or cooked vegetables.
  • Option 1: You can thicken the curry chicken gravy with bread crumbs or cornstarch. I prefer to thicken the gravy by using the evaporation method.
  • Option 2: Remove the chicken from the skillet and place in a bowl.
  • Turn up the fire to high and allow gravy to boil. Using a spoon, stir the gravy slowly and pay close attention to the consistency of the stew, Turn off the stove when it becomes thick enough.
  • Then add chicken back to the stew.

    • Your food is ready.

    YAH MON!!!

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