Stewed Chicken Soup

The latest episode of EAF Presents features Reshmi from Taste Of Trini and she made a Stewed Chicken Soup. I never heard of making chicken soup this way before but I was intrigued by the idea because the flavor combinations in my head worked well together. The final product was as flavourful as I imagined. This is definitely a recipe to try.

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken, cleaned, cut up & washed with white vinegar, lime or lemon juice
• 1 cup of Caribbean green seasoning (shadon beni + garlic + hot pepper + pimento pepper)
• A drizzle of soy sauce (depending on the colour you want)
• 1 ½ tablespoons of ketchup
• 1 onion
• Hot pepper
• Chopped fevergrass (lemongrass)
• 1 inch piece of turmeric, grated finely
• 3 inch piece of ginger, grated finely
• 1 carrot
• 1 cup of chopped pumpkin
• Eddoes
• Potatoes (Aloo)
• Dasheen
• Cassava
• Green fig (banana)
• Sweet Potatoes
• ¼ cup of chopped celery
• ¼ cup of chopped chive (green onion or scallion)
• ¼ cup of chopped shadon beni
• 2 teaspoons of brown sugar (to stew)
• 2 teaspoons of cooking oil

*Pureed split peas or dhal and/or chick peas or channa can also be added.*

Dumplings

• 2 cups of flour
• 1 teaspoon of salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• Enough coconut milk and/or water to create a soft dough.

Method

Step 1

Season chicken with salt, green seasoning, hot pepper, soy sauce, ketchup, onion, lemongrass (fevergrass), ginger and turmeric. Let it marinate for a couple hours or overnight.

Step 2

Peel and cut up all the provisions, carrots, pumpkin and herbs. Submerge the provisions in water so they don’t oxidise.

Make dumpling dough. Combine flour, salt and sugar and add coconut milk until a nice soft dough is formed.

Step 3

Time to chunkay!

Add oil to the pot, and once it heats through, add the brown sugar.

Once it turns a lovely amber colour, add the seasoned chicken in. Stir thoroughly to coat the chicken pieces with the caramelised sugar. Cover and let it spring its natural juices.

When that liquid is reduced, add the provisions, pumpkin and carrot. Stir well!

Now add some boiling water and some salt, and cover the soup and let it bubble.

After about 30 minutes, the chicken and the provisions should be cooked. Add some more green seasoning, the ochroes and the chopper celery. Let it cook for a further 10 minutes.

Make the dumplings into whatever size or shape you prefer, and add them to the pot. Leave the heat on for a further 5 minutes so the dumplings can cook.

To finish, add some chopped shadon beni and chive and turn the heat off. Taste to make sure it has enough salt and seasonings.

*You can add some butter if you’d like- more fat, more flavour!*

Serve while hot. Enjoy!