Caribbean-Style Braised Chicken and Chickpeas with Maille Honey Dijon
I love cooking Sunday dinners as an adult. It takes me back to my childhood. Growing up in an Afro-Latino household, Sundays were a day of music and food. Most Sundays, my mom would play her favorite calypso and merengue and make traditional Latin/Caribbean slow-cooked dishes while preparing for the upcoming week. Sunday was relaxed and informal. Dinner was usually ready by 2:00 pm, so it was easy to make a plate whenever we were hungry.
Braised (stewed) chicken was a regular on the Sunday dinner menu because it was inexpensive, effortless to make, it fed many people, and the flavor was absolutely insane.
My Braised Chicken and Chickpeas with Maille Honey Dijon Mustard is a twist on the classic stewed chicken. There are several ways to make “traditional” stewed chicken. Some recipes are more savory, while others offer a sweeter flavor. I love both, but for this recipe, I wanted to highlight the sweeter flavor profile. Maille Honey Dijon was the perfect ingredient for this! The dijon spices and the honey’s sweetness added to the complexity of flavors found in stewed chicken. Maille Honey Dijon added an excellent flavor and paired well with all of the traditional elements of this classic Latin/Caribbean-inspired dish.
I am excited for you to try this dish! Below I have added some tips to help you season and braise your chicken to perfection! But before you get into the recipe, make sure to enter the giveaway below for a chance to win Maille Maustar’s full collection.
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THE KEYS TO DEVELOPING FLAVORS WHEN BRAISING:
You will notice this recipe has quite a few steps, BUT I have broken everything down into segments to keep you organized.
BONE-IN:
There are so many incredible benefits to braising with bone-in meats. Bone broth is quite nutritious and packed with vitamins and other significant health benefits for your joints, gut, bones. But additionally, braising bone-in meats adds flavor to the braising liquid thanks to bone marrow. When slowly simmered, the marrow adds juices and fats that make the braising liquid silky and more flavorful. For this dish, it does not matter what part of the chicken you choose. As long as it is bone-in the end result will be fantastic.
BROWNING YOUR CHICKEN – COLOR EQUALS FLAVOR
One of the most critical steps when braising is the browning stage. In this recipe, the chicken browns through baking. Once the chicken is marinated, baking the chicken locks in the flavor through caramelization. The result of the sugars caramelizing during the baking process is both rich color and warm flavor.
You can do this in a frying pan, but (I feel) it takes longer, it can be messier, and more of a challenge to brown the chicken evenly.
TOASTING YOUR SPICES:
Toasting your spices is a huge flavor builder, especially in Latin, Caribbean, and Indian dishes. Toasting is one of the best ways to add complexity and impact of your dish. Toasting your spices allows the flavors to bloom and intensify, brings out aromatic oils, and adds warmth to your dish. This intensity and warmth will carry throughout the dish, especially once the braising liquid is added.
SEASONING BLEND:
Seasoning blend, aka sofrito/pound seasoning/green seasoning/ etc. these are different names for a seasoning that combines fresh green herbs, peppers, onions, garlic, ginger, and other spices used in many Latin/Caribbean dishes. This is the Latin/Caribbean equivalent of a bouquet garni. However, this seasoning blend is marinate meats or add season dishes directly. No cheesecloth necessary. In this recipe, I add my seasoning blend to my toasted spices to strengthen every ingredient’s flavor in the blend.
NOTE: When you make the seasoning blend for this recipe, make more than you need. Stores it in an air-tight container for up to three months, or you can freeze this seasoning blend into cubes and use it as needed. No thawing is required.
SIMMER DOWN
Braising is a slow process. When you consider the time you spend building flavors, it’s essential to give all of the ingredients an opportunity to (as we say in my house) think about themselves for a while on low heat. Simmering also allows each ingredient to shine while working with the other ingredients to complete the dish.
WHAT ARE SWEET PEPPERS AND IS THERE A SUBSTITUTE?
Sweet peppers are a very mild pepper that looks similar to a Scotch Bonnet or Habanero. They have all of the flavors of their spicy cousins but none of the intense heat. Sweet peppers are used widely in Latin and Caribbean cooking and contribute to the delicious flavor these cuisines are known for.
If you don’t have access to sweet peppers or aji dulce, you can substitute orange and yellow bell pepper or sweet and mild chili pepper.
More Great Maille Recipes
Crab and Herb Stuffed Mushrooms with Maille Dijon Originale
Maille Honey Dijon and Herb Crusted Rack of Lamb with Mango Mint Salad
Caribbean-Style Braised Chicken and Chickpeas with Maille Honey Dijon Mustard
Slow-cooked Caribbean-inspired stewed chicken infused with the flavorful sweetness of Maille Honey Dijon Mustard and a bounty of Caribbean spices.
Ingredients
Marinade:
- 4 lb bone-in, skin-on, chicken (legs, thighs, or breasts)
- 2 Tbs Maille Honey Dijon Mustard
- 2 Tbs Worcestershire Sauce
- 1 Tbs Brown Sugar
- 1 Tbs Salt
- 1 tsp pepper
Seasoning Blend:
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 1 small onion chopped
- 3-4 sweet peppers or sweet/mild chili peppers (not hot)
- 2 tsp ginger
- 1/3 cup cilantro
- 1/3 cup parsley
- 2 celery sticks
- 2 green onion
Braising:
- 1 Tbs oil
- 1 tsp of curry powder
- 1.5-2 cups of water
- Remaining marinade
- 1-2 Tbs of Katchup
- 1 medium tomato chopped
- 3 sprigs of thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 can of chickpeas drained and rinsed
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°.
Marinade:
- Rinse chicken pieces and pat dry. Set aside.
- In a medium mixing bowl, add ALL Marinade ingredients; 2 tablespoons of Maille Honey Dijon mustard, 2 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce, 1 tablespoon of brown sugar.
- Mix ingredients together, then add chicken pieces and coat evenly. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside to marinate 10-15 minutes.
Seasoning Blend:
- Using a small food processor or blender, add ALL seasoning blend ingredients, 2 cloves of garlic, 1 small onion, 2 teaspoons of ginger 3-4 Sweet peppers, 1/3 cup cilantro, and 2 green onions coarsely chopped, and 1 tablespoon of oil.
- Blend until finely minced. Set aside.
Baking:
- On a large baking pan, add chicken pieces skin side up, spacing them apart evenly.
- KEEP REMAINING MARINADE. Set aside.
- Increase temperature to 425° and bake for 20- 25 minutes or until chicken skin is brown
- Remove chicken from oven and set aside.
Braising:
- On your stovetop, begin to heat a large cast-iron pan or Dutch Oven over medium-low heat.
- Add 1Tbs oil and 1tsp curry powder and cook for 30 seconds.
- Next, add the Seasoning Blend mixture and sautee for 1 minute.
- Reduce heat to low and add your chicken pieces and pan drippings to the pot.
- Add 1.5-2 cups of water to the remaining marinade, mix and add to the pot.
- Separately add Katchup, tomatoes, thyme, and bay leaf, and chickpeas. Increase the heat to medium and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat to a simmer, cover pot with lid, and cook for 30-40 min or until chicken is tender and falling off the bone.
- Serve with Roti wraps, Nan, or white rice.
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