Recipes
Developed by Euzhan Palcy in collaboration with Chef Brédas
Euzhan’s Chicken Colombo
Serves 8
Preparation: 35 minutes
Developed by Euzhan Palcy in collaboration with Chef Brédas, member of the Académie Nationale de Cuisine, member of the Académie Culinaire de France, Maître Cuisinier of France
Ingredients
Protein
- 1.2 kg chicken legs
Seasoning
- 20 g Colombo powder
- 10 g ground cumin
- 2 g ground black pepper
- 1 g or a pinch ground cloves
- Sprig of thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 g powdered ginger
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 30 g garlic
- 5 cl lemon juice
- 5 cl aged Martinican rum
- 2 heaping teaspoons of salt
- 7 g brown sugar
Vegetables
- 600 g chayotes
- 400 g cucumbers
- 1 chili pepper
- 200 g chickpeas
- 150 g red peppers
- 150 g green peppers
- 200 g onions
- 300 g small carrots
- 100 g green onions
- 3 cl olive oil
- 7 g turmeric
- 1 bouquet garni
Preparation
1- Cut the chicken
Separate the drumstick from the thigh.
2- Make the marinade
Place the cut chicken in a bowl with the lemon juice, salt, pepper, bay leaf, minced garlic, cinnamon stick, and thyme. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge.
This step should be completed a day ahead.
3- Prepare the vegetables
Wearing disposable gloves, wash, peel, and cut the chayotes into small pieces (about 2 cm); do the same with the cucumbers but do not mix.
4- Cook the stew
Heat oil in a large stew pot. Add the sugar and let it melt until it begins to caramelize. Add the marinated chicken and mix with a wooden spatula until evenly browned. Add the chopped onions, red peppers, and green peppers. Stir in the Colombo powder, cumin, turmeric, and powdered ginger. Flambé the mixture with the rum; once the flames disappear, add the chayotes and pour in enough water to cover the chicken. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer at low heat.
Halfway through the cooking time—after 20 minutes—add the bouquet garni, chopped cucumber, small carrots, and whole chili pepper and continue to cook over low heat, making sure the chili pepper doesn’t explode in the sauce.
5- Serve
Taste the stew to check the seasoning. Let it rest for 20 minutes, then remove the chicken from the sauce and place it on a serving plate. Pour the sauce and vegetables into a gravy boat or large bowl. Garnish the sauce with finely chopped green onion and place the parsley sprigs on the chicken. Serve hot with white rice.
Enjoy your lunch!
