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.