Equipment
* optional
Ingredients
Chicken and Marinade
- 800 g bone-in skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat
- 5 g curry powder
- 2 g dried thyme
- 5 g salt
- 5 g chicken bouillon powder
Obe Ata Pepper Blend
- 400 g red bell peppers, seeds removed, roughly chopped
- 300 g roma tomatoes, roughly chopped
- 200 g red onion, roughly chopped
- 10 g scotch bonnet peppers, stems removed, about 1-2 peppers
Stew Base
- 100 ml vegetable oil
- 100 g red onion, thinly sliced
- 50 g tomato paste
- 15 g garlic, minced
- 15 g ginger, minced
- 240 ml chicken broth
- 1 bay leaf, whole
Cauliflower Rice
- 600 g cauliflower, cut into medium florets
- 15 ml olive oil
- 2 g salt
Nutrition (per serving)
Method
In a blender, combine the red bell peppers, roma tomatoes, roughly chopped red onion, and scotch bonnet peppers. Blend until entirely smooth.
Pour the blended pepper mixture into a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat at approximately 100 degrees C or 212 degrees F, and let it reduce for 20 minutes until the excess water evaporates and the mixture resembles a thick paste.
Pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towels. Season thoroughly on all sides with curry powder, dried thyme, salt, and chicken bouillon powder.
Heat the vegetable oil in a Dutch oven or large heavy pot over medium-high heat. Sear the seasoned chicken thighs for 4 minutes per side until deeply browned. Use tongs to remove the chicken and set aside.
Reduce the heat slightly. In the same pot with the residual oil and chicken fat, add the thinly sliced red onion, minced garlic, and minced ginger. Sauté for 2 minutes, then stir in the tomato paste. Continue to cook for another 3 minutes until the paste darkens in color.
Pour the reduced pepper paste into the Dutch oven with the aromatics. Fry the mixture, stirring frequently to prevent sticking, for 10 to 15 minutes. The stew base is ready when the oil begins to separate and pool slightly at the edges.
Return the seared chicken thighs to the pot along with any resting juices. Pour in the chicken broth and add the bay leaf. Bring to a simmer, cover, and braise over low heat for 25 minutes until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 74 degrees C or 165 degrees F and is perfectly tender.
While the stew finishes simmering, process the cauliflower florets in a food processor using the grating attachment, or grate them manually using a box grater until they resemble fine grains of rice.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the grated cauliflower, season with salt, and sauté for 5 minutes until tender but retaining a slight bite. Do not add water, as it will make the cauliflower mushy.
Serve the fiery Nigerian chicken stew hot, spooned generously over a bed of warm cauliflower rice.
Chef's Notes
- Boiling down the pepper puree before frying is a traditional West African technique that significantly reduces splashing and cuts down your overall frying time.
- Scotch bonnet peppers vary wildly in heat. Always start with one pepper, taste your puree, and add another only if you prefer a fierier stew.
- To build complex flavor without carbohydrates, achieving deep caramelization on your tomato paste during the sauté step is strictly non-negotiable.
- Using chicken thighs on the bone yields a much richer broth for the stew base, though boneless cuts can be substituted if you reduce the braising time by about ten minutes.
Storage
Refrigerator: 5 days — Store the stew and cauliflower rice in separate airtight containers.
Freezer: 3 months — Freeze the stew only. Cauliflower rice texture degrades when frozen and thawed.
Reheating: Reheat stew gently on the stovetop or in a microwave. Sauté cauliflower rice briefly in a dry pan to remove excess moisture.
