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Curry chicken with escovitch pickle and mofongo

Preparation time
overnight

Cooking time
1 to 2 hours

Serves
Serves 6–8

By Andi Oliver
From Saturday Kitchen

Ingredients

For the chicken

  • 8 chicken thighs and/or legs, skin on and bone-in
  • splash lemon juice or white wine vinegar (optional)
  • 3 tbsp green seasoning
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 3 garlic cloves, finely grated
  • 1 Scotch bonnet or any chilli, finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp ghee or rapeseed oil
  • 1 large onion, finely chopped
  • 3 tbsp Caribbean curry powder
  • 375ml/13fl oz chicken stock
  • 2 tbsp chopped fresh coriander, to garnish
  • julienned spring onions, to garnish
  • julienned green chillies, to garnish

For the escovitch pickle

  • 1 lime, juice only
  • 1 blood orange, juice only
  • 3 tbsp caster sugar
  • 1 tsp allspice berries
  • 1 tsp juniper berries
  • 1 tsp black peppercorns
  • 50g/1¾oz coconut shavings
  • 1 onion or shallot, finely sliced
  • 1 Scotch bonnet chilli (or 2 if you like it truly hot), finely sliced
  • ½ carrot, peeled and finely sliced
  • ½ red pepper, seeds removed and finely sliced
  • ½ green pepper, seeds removed and finely sliced

For the mofongo

  • 2 tbsp neutral oil, such as rapeseed or sunflower oil, for frying
  • 200g/7oz streaky bacon, thinly sliced
  • 7 unripe green plantains or bananas, peeled and chopped into even-sized chunks
  • 6 garlic cloves, peeled and left whole
  • handful pork scratchings
  • 2 tbsp good-quality extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 lime, juice only
  • 4 tbsp caramelised onions
  • 2–3 tbsp chopped fresh flatleaf parsley or coriander, to garnish
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

  1. To make the chicken, wash the chicken in a solution made with water and a splash of lemon juice or white vinegar. This step is entirely optional, but it is considered key in Caribbean culture. Pat the meat dry with kitchen paper.

  2. Place the chicken in a large bowl. Add the green seasoning, salt and roughly half of the garlic and chilli. Mix with your hands so that the chicken is well coated. Marinate the chicken in the fridge, ideally overnight or for a minimum of 30 minutes.

  3. Heat the ghee in a large saucepan over a medium–high heat. Sear the marinated chicken until nicely browned on all sides, then remove from the pan to a plate and set aside.

  4. Lower the heat to medium–low, then add the onion and remaining garlic and chilli. Lightly fry for 5 minutes until slightly softened. Add the curry powder and just a little splash of water, enough to form a paste. Gently cook for 2 minutes, being careful not to burn the spices.

  5. Add the browned chicken back to the pan and stir well, making sure it is completely coated in the curry paste. Increase the heat to medium–high, add the stock, cover the pan and simmer for about 1 hour until the chicken is cooked through and tender. The chicken is cooked through when the juices run clear with no trace of pink when the thickest part of the leg, between the drumstick and the thigh, is pierced with a skewer.

  6. To make the escovitch pickle, bring the vinegar, sugar, spices and 3½ tablespoons water to a simmer in a saucepan over a medium heat, stirring a little to dissolve the sugar. Remove from the heat and add all of the remaining ingredients to the pan. Leave to cool and pickle. Stir in the shaved coconut.

  7. To make the mofongo, heat the neutral oil in a frying pan and fry the bacon until crispy. Turn off the heat, remove the meat to a plate and set aside. Leave the fat that has come out of the meat in the pan to make a sauce later.

  8. Soak the plantain in a bowl of water seasoned with a large pinch of salt for 15 minutes. The salty water will season the plantain or bananas and take away some of the chalkiness. Drain and dry them well using kitchen paper.

  9. Heat a generous splash of the neutral oil in a heavy-based frying pan over a medium–low heat. Fry the plantains for about 10–15 minutes until soft and lightly golden brown. Drain the excess oil on kitchen paper and set aside to cool.

  10. Add the garlic, bacon, pork scratchings and extra virgin oil to a large bowl and mash them together using the end of a rolling pin or a pestle. Gradually add the cooked plantain and continue to vigorously mash until everything is thoroughly combined. Season with salt and pepper and add the lime juice to taste. Pack individual portions of the mixture into 6–8 small bowls or dessert moulds and flip onto serving plates. Garnish with the caramelised onions and coriander.

  11. Garnish the chicken curry with the coriander, spring onions and green chilli. Serve the curry and pickle on the plates with the mofongo.

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