Grandma's Stew Chicken

A staple of my childhood was waking up on a weekend morning to my mother's chicken stew and dumplings (or duff, as Guyanese people call them). Now Guyanese cooking is quite utilitarian, but that does not take away from it's deliciousness. People have been known to throw tantrums over there being too little gravy left. Not I. Just saying. Your aunt had very strong opinions about the correct proportions of solids to gravy. Of course, her place could 'accidentally' have more gravy. And I'm not bitter. But it flattens your dreams to have a dry piece of duff with only a trace of stew on the edge with an empty bowl that has been mopped clean.

There is something simple and delicious about this meal. It is wonderful on a cold winter day and also wonderful on a breezy summer evening. I can't think of a time of year when stew chicken isn't delicious.

Ingredients:
Chicken		1 whole bird, cut into 2-3 inch pieces (or the equivalent in thighs and breast)
Potato		8 medium Yukon potatoes, peeled, halved or quartered
Onion		4 onions, peeled and chopped
Tomato Paste		3/4 a small tin
Garlic		1 tbsp, minced
Canola Oil		2 tbsp
Water		1/2 L
Geera (cumin)		1 tsp
Marjoram		1 tbsp
Sage		1 tbsp
Thyme		1 tbsp (fresh, if possible)
Black Pepper		1 tsp, ground
Sea Salt		1 1/2 tsp

Preparation:

1. Clean and use a cleaver to chop chicken into 2-3 inch pieces.
2. In a large pot, heat canola oil on medium heat. 
3. Saute the onions. Add the garlic after the onions have cooked down. Saute until coloured.
4. Add the chicken and stir to coat. 
5. Add the geera, marjoram, sage, thyme, black pepper and sea salt. stir to incorporate.
6. The chicken will release its juices. Let this cook on medium high to evaporate.
7. After the liquid has evaporated, add the potatoes and tomato paste. Stir and let this caramelize.
8. Cover the stew with the boiled water. There should be enough to barely cover the stew.
9. Bring to a boil, stir and reduce heat to a gentle simmer.
10. Cover and simmer until potatoes are tender (about 20-30 minutes).
11. Serve with fry bakes, rice, or as we used to have it, fry dumplings. I will provide you the recipe for dumplings in a later post. Hopefully, one day, you can make them. Lord knows I've never done it on my own.

Grandma's and Big Grandma's Beef Barley Soup

If there is one dish that is trademarked to my mother, this is the dish. It is not like any other barley soup I've had. Most are oversalted, or the broth is very thin with very little barley texture. Home made is always best. If you are sick, this soup is for you. If you are cold, this soup is for you. If you need comfort, this soup is for you. If you need a cure all... you see where this is going. After a cup of this a bleak day is brighter. I have a vat of this in the fridge to dip into reheat as needed. Soup does just as great the day after. I sprinkle a little ground black pepper before eating. Yum. My babygirl, you know this is true. This is a wonderful lunch on a cold school day. My babyboy, you will learn to love soup, and this is the soup I will make you love. When you grow up you will wonder why you refused to eat this. Maybe (and I hope) you are just a picky toddler at the moment. But it will eventually remind you of grandma. And maybe, one day, me.

Ingredients:
Beef (stewing or soup cuts)		cubed (1/2" - 1")
Barley		2 cups, cooked
Yukon Potato  (or similar)		3 medium, large cubes (1x1/2")
Carrot		2 carrots, cubed or coined
Onion		3 medium bulbs,chopped
Boiled Water		5 cups
Beef Bullion		1 cube
Salt		1 tbsp
Black Pepper		1 tbsp, ground
Thyme		1 sprig
Canola Oil		4 tbsp

Barley Preparation:

1. Rinse barley in a sieve under cold water. Drain.
2. Toast barley in a pressure cooker, stirring often. 
3. When fragrant, immediately pour in water and add a pinch of salt.
4. Stir well and bring to a boil.
5. Seal pressure cooker with whistle (follow the instructions for your pressure cooker) and let it build pressure until it whistles.
6. Reduce heat to low and let it cook for approximately 15 mins.
7. Take the pot off the heat and let it cool completely.
8. When you remove the lid (make sure you release the pressure completely before you do this!) the barley should be soft all the way through.

Soup Preparation:

1. Wash and chop onions and carrots. Set aside.
2. Rinse and cube beef. Set aside.
3. Add canola oil to a large soup pot on medium heat.
4. When warmed through, saute chopped onions. Be sure you do not brown them.
5. When the onions are translucent, increase the temperature to medium high.
6. Add beef and brown on all sides until it is nicely caramelized.
7. Add potatoes, carrots and thyme. Stir until everything is mixed well.
8. Let the mixture cook until there is little moisture left in the pot.
9. Pour in the boiled water and stir to release all the fond at the bottom of the pot. What is 'fond'? You are my children and reading this, you should know. Go look it up.
10. Add the pressure cooked barley, using the water in the pot to rinse out the bowl. Remember; barley is a thickener, it is important to have all the barley for the texture of the soup.
11. Add salt and pepper.
12. Stir well to agitate the barley and mix the seasoning.
13. Half cover pot and reduce heat to medium low. 
14. Let the soup simmer for 30 minutes.
15. When the soup is nearly done, take a pot spoon and try to break a potato on the side of the pot to test for doneness. If it crushes easily, the soup is done aaand... you've thickened the soup a little, just stir it all together. If it does not crush without pressure, then the soup needs more time.
16. You will notice a greenish tinge (remember the sauteed onions?) when the soup is finished. Remove the pot from the heat and serve.