Caribbean Curry Chicken

Growing up in South Florida, I was exposed to many different cultures and cuisines. My friends’ families hailed from Jamaica, Peru, Haiti, Cuba… Since neither of my parents was a good cook, I always begged them to let me go to my friends’ houses for dinner. I found out at a young age that I had a taste for spicy, aromatic cuisine. My favorite of all was going to my friend Marsha’s house and devouring her mom’s Jamaican curry chicken while listening to reggae. It was the BEST thing in the world!

Since then, I have been on a quest to find that awesome flavor. I have tried curry from all kinds of countries – China, India, Thailand, Vietnam, West Indies… The closest I found was at Phan Garden (Vietnamese) in Milwaukee, WI. Even the Jamaican restaurants around don’t come close to the curry I had as a child.

Thanks to Pinterest and by combining recipes, I have finally found the taste I’ve been after! The recipe is long, but it is well worth the effort!

Ingredients:

The chicken needs to marinate overnight. Serves 8

Green Seasoning (marinade):

1 whole bunch of fresh cilantro

1/2 bunch of fresh parsley

2 cups of fresh sweet basil

3 tablespoons of fresh rosemary

4 sticks of fresh scallions, chopped

1 head of garlic

1 bunch of fresh thyme (8 sprigs)

1 stalk of celery

2-3 habaneros or scotch bonnets

3 pimento peppers – red peppers

Pinch of Himalayan Salt

1 small onion, chopped

1 teaspoon of grated fresh ginger

Olive Oil for blending

Using a blender or a food processor, blend all Green Seasoning ingredients until smooth. This recipe makes approximately 1 quart. You can store it in a Ball jar if you are using it throughout the week or freeze into ice cubes to be thawed when you want to use it. You can store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 2 days or freeze for up to 2 months.

Curry Chicken:

2 lbs of chicken, cut into strips

6 tablespoons of Jamaican curry

A few sprigs of Thyme

2-3 tablespoons of Green Seasoning

3 tablespoons of olive oil

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves of garlic, chopped

1 lb of potatoes, peeled and cut into bite sizes

3 cups of water

Salt to taste

Combine chicken, 2-3 tablespoons of Green Seasoning, a few sprigs of thyme, 4 tablespoons of curry. Refrigerate overnight in a Ziploc bag, making sure to seal the bag well and shake the mixture so that it coats the chicken well.

In a deep frying pan, heat the oil and place chicken mixture into it. Cook the chicken for 3-5 minutes, until lightly browned.

Remove the chicken from pot and place to the side.

Add onion, garlic and remaining curry. Fry for 1-2 minutes, until the onion is softened.

Add water and salt, then add the chicken back into the pan. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes. Add potatoes and cook for another 10-15, until the potatoes are cook through.

You can serve with rice if you’d like.

This was a hit tonight! My son is one of the pickiest eaters and he had 2 helpings! Everyone asked for it to be a weekly meal!

You can also substitute the 3 cups of water with 1 cup of Chicken Broth and 2 cups of coconut milk. I will try that next week and report back.