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Trinidad and Tobago Chicken Pelau RICE and Chicken

Chicken Pelau - Trinidad and Tobago Chicken and Rice

Pelau is ba­si­cal­ly the na­tion­al casse­role of Trinidad and To­ba­go. It's one of the most ver­sa­tile (and ar­guably, de­li­cious) meals on the Islands. The use of local spices and caramelized chicken make this dish stand out. from it's brother, Arroz con Pollo.
5 from 2 votes
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Course: Brunch, Lunch, Main Course
Cuisine: Caribbean, Trinidad and Tobago
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Marinate: 1 hour
Total Time: 2 hours
Servings: 6
Author: My Hungry Traveler

Equipment

  • Large Dutch oven with cover or large heavy pot

Ingredients

Marinate Chicken

  • 6 Boneless chicken thighs, each cut into 3 (Sub: chicken legs, thighs with bone, or a whole cut up chicken)
  • 1 tsp Garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp Ginger, grated
  • ¼ tsp Creole or cajun spice mix (Sub: salt)
  • 1½ tsp Dried thyme
  • 1 tsp Black pepper
  • Parsley and or basil, minced

Pilau

  • 2 cup Long grain rice, rinsed until water run clear
  • ½ Chicken bouillon cube (Sub: ¼ tsp chicken broth paste or powder)
  • ½ cup Brown sugar
  • 1 medium Onion, diced
  • 2 tsp Garlic, minced
  • 1 whole Scotch Bonnet or habanero pepper, seeded and minced (Sub: jalapeno pepper)
  • 1 tsp Thyme
  • ¼ cup Olive or vegetable oil
  • 2 Bay leaf
  • 2 tbsp Ketchup
  • 1 tbsp Creole or cajun spice mix (Sub: salt)
  • 1 can Pigeon Peas, drained (Sub: Black-eyed peas, pinto beans)
  • 1 cup Butternut squash, large cubes
  • 14 oz Canned coconut milk
  • 1 tsp Paprika
  • 1 tsp Whole black peppercorns
  • 3½ cups Chicken broth
  • 1 Scotch bonnet or Habanero pepper, whole (optional)
  • Salt and pepper, to taste
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Marinate Chicken - Place chicken in a large plastic freezer bag. Add ¼ tsp creole seasoning or salt, 1 tsp minced garlic, ginger, thyme, pepper, and minced basil. Seal bag and massage spices into chicken pieces. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour and preferably overnight.
  • Cook Pelau - Remove chicken from refrigerator and shake off any loose bits.
    Heat Dutch oven or large pot over medium heat. Add sugar and keep stirring until it caramelizes and turns a deep brown but isn't burned. Immediately add chicken and cook for about 4 minutes, stirring constantly to caramelize chicken. Transfer to a bowl, reserving 2 chunks to dice for garnish.
    Stir in onions, 1 tsp garlic, 1 tsp thyme, oil, bay leaves, and ketchup. Cook for 1 minute. Add rice, squash and peas and stir for another 3 minutes.
    Add in chicken broth, coconut milk, 2 tsp creole spice (or salt), paprika, caramelized chicken, and whole peppercorns. Mix everything together, bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to low. Cook until rice is done, about 20 minutes.
    Remove from heat and discard bay leaves and peppercorns. Transfer to a serving bowl, season with salt and pepper, and sprinkle reserved chopped chicken pieces on top. Serve.

Nutrition

Calories: 747kcal | Carbohydrates: 88g | Protein: 33g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 17g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.02g | Cholesterol: 110mg | Sodium: 677mg | Potassium: 836mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 24g | Vitamin A: 2602IU | Vitamin C: 11mg | Calcium: 99mg | Iron: 5mg