Chicken Pelau

Ingredients

• 900g bone-in chicken thighs, cut into pieces
• 4 tbsp green seasoning
• 45ml neutral oil
• 35g dark brown sugar
• 1 onion, diced
• 3 pimento seasoning peppers, chopped
• 3 sprigs thyme
• 400g parboiled long grain rice, rinsed
• 250g cooked pigeon peas, drained
• 1 carrot, 100g, diced
• 2 tbsp ketchup
• 400ml coconut milk
• 450ml water
• 1 whole scotch bonnet, left unbroken
• 2 tsp salt
• 20g butter

Allergen screen

Found: dairy

Screened for: gluten, dairy, egg, nuts, peanuts, fish, shellfish, molluscs, soy, sesame, celery, mustard, lupin, alcohol. Not screened: sulphites.

Screened by keyword from the ingredient list, not reviewed by a person; check every label for what the list cannot show.

Method

1. Rub the chicken through with the green seasoning and leave it while you cut and measure everything else; once the sugar goes in there is no time to prepare.
2. Heat the oil in a heavy pot over medium-high, add the sugar and let it foam. Watch it run gold, then copper, then the deep red brown of molasses as the first thread of smoke lifts, about 90 seconds.
3. Tip the chicken in at that instant and stir to coat; it will hiss and seize. Cook 6 to 8 minutes until every piece is lacquered mahogany, then add the onion, pimento and thyme. 8 min
4. Stir in the rice, pigeon peas, carrot and ketchup, then the coconut milk, water and salt; float the whole scotch bonnet on top and keep it intact.
5. Cover, drop the heat to low and cook undisturbed 22 minutes, until the liquid is gone and a crust has formed at the bottom; lift out the pepper, fork the butter through and rest 5 minutes. 22 min