Jamaican Curry Chicken and Potatoes

Step 1

Place chicken in a large bowl. Season chicken with the garlic powder, 2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, making sure it’s evenly coated. Let sit to come to room temperature.

Step 2

Heat a deep Dutch oven or heavy pan over medium-high. Drizzle in the olive oil. Add sliced onions, season with salt and pepper. Using a rubber spatula or wooden spoon, stir to combine, and cook until soft and fragrant, 3 to 4 minutes. Add garlic, stirring to keep the garlic from scorching, and cook for 30 seconds or until tender. Using a pair of tongs or a spoon, remove onions and garlic from the pan; set aside in a bowl.

Step 3

If needed, add more oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the room-temperature chicken to the pan, and sear chicken on both sides, in batches if necessary, until golden brown, about 7 to 8 minutes total.

Step 4

Sprinkle curry powder over and around chicken. Let the spices bloom and toast until fragrant, about 2 minutes.

Step 5

Add reserved onions and garlic to the pan. Using a paring knife, pierce a small incision into the Scotch bonnet pepper. Add to the pan. Add potatoes, and stir to evenly coat chicken and potatoes in spices.

Step 6

Pour in chicken stock to nearly cover the chicken. Add the bay leaf and thyme sprigs. Bring to a simmer. Remove Scotch bonnet pepper. Cover pot and cook for 30 minutes, or until chicken is tender and falling off the bone. Taste and adjust the curry powder, salt and pepper as needed.

Step 7

In a small bowl, combine cornstarch with 1/4 cup water to form a slurry. (The chicken curry can be eaten as is, like a soup, or slurry can be added to thicken the sauce to a gravy-like consistency.) Stir slurry in, about 1 tablespoon a time and bring back to a boil, adding more until desired thickness is reached. Retrieve bay leaf and thyme stems and discard. Serve with rice.