Trinbagonian Pelau is a caribbean specific type of pilaf. It's foundation is really stew chicken and made with local cheap ingredients. Foodie Nation has one of my favorite easy to follow recipes, handy for the caramelizing of the sugar which is hard to articulate in text. Here I will cover what I do, and include some alternatives for convenience.
This version serves 4-6 people. Depends on the amount of chicken pieces used. Ideally one thigh per person.
Ingredients
If using a metric measuring cup, 1 cup = 250 mL.
You can add whatever vegetables you want, but I selected what I like to use. I have seen people use peas, Red Bell Pepper, and others.
Sugar (1-2 tbsp)
Thyme (2-3 sprigs)
Alternative: Dried Thyme (1-2 tsp)
Skinless Chicken Thighs (¾ - 1 kg, either bone in or out)
Carrot (1 large)
Acorn Squash (1/5 of the squash or ½ cup)
Alternative: Pumpkin or butternut squash
Frozen Sweet Corn Nibblets (½ cup)
Yellow Onion (1 medium)
Garlic (3-4 cloves)
Basmati Rice (1 cup washed, uncooked)
Alternative: Long grain rice (use water amount as per package directions)
Pigeon Peas (1 can)
Alternative: Lentils (1 can)
Alternative: Dried Lentils (~1/2 cup)
Water (1.5 cups)
Coconut powder (½ cup, optional)
Adjust based on type of rice used (package amount + 0.5 cups)
Alternative: Lemon juice or Lime/Lemon juice concentrate (1-2 tbsp)
Black pepper (¼ tsp)
Salt (1 tsp)
Green Seasoning
Green seasoning is a staple in many dishes in Trinbagonian cooking. The key ingredients are the green herbs, which is typically thyme, shado beni (culantro, or cilantro). These are combined with the remaining ingredients, and is typically a custom per household. You can make a large batch and freeze the unused portion for later use!
Green herbs (Cilantro|Culantro, aka Shado beni|Thyme|Parsley)
Pepper (Bell, or Pimento)
Garlic
Onion (Optional)
Either White Vinegar or Lime juice
Water
During this recipie I used the following:
Cilantro (1 tsp)
Green onion (1 stalk)
Marinate the Chicken
Add the Marinade ingredients to a large bowl
Add large pieces of chicken to maranade, marinate for at least 30 minutes (longer is fine)
Precook preparation
If using dried lentils, cook them in 1:3 ratio of water
Add ½ Vegetable/Chicken Boullion Cube and Bayleaf
Cook until 1 cm of water is left
Strain to remove excess salt and liquid
Required to maintain an appropriate texture
If using Coconut Powder
Cut squash and carrots into 1 cm cubes
Slice onions into 0.5 cm slices or diced
Smash or crush garlic cloves
I use a to crush them as I like them whole
Wash/Rinse the rice a few times to remove excess starch
Method
Set heat to medium for a large braising pot (cast iron, steel, etc…)
Be wary of ceramic pots, as I am unsure about staining
Add water + coconut powder or coconut milk to marinade bowl to get all the remaining marinade (no wasting, that's flavour!)
Add sugar, allow it to turn dark brown and foam
Colour is somewhere between milk chocolate and dark chocolate
Add marinated chicken, sear on both sides for 3-5 minutes each side
