Sunday Peppered Chicken

Before you start

• Source hard chicken from an African grocer for the ultimate traditional chew.

  Old layer hens (fowl) provide a deeply flavorful, resilient texture that soft supermarket chicken lacks. If using standard broilers, the oven-roasting step is mandatory to firm up the meat.

• Seek out sweet Tribelli or Romano peppers.

  Standard red bell peppers are highly accessible, but sweet, pointy Tribelli peppers offer a much closer match to the Nigerian Tatashe in both water content and flavor.

Ingredients

• bone-in skin-on chicken pieces3 lb
• red onion1 med
• garlic cloves3 large
• fresh ginger1 in
• chicken bouillon cubes2 large
• Nigerian or yellow curry powder1 tsp
• dried thyme1 tsp
• salt1 tsp
• water1 cup
• red bell peppers3 large
• Roma tomatoes2 med
• habanero peppers2 small
• red onion1 med
• vegetable oil1/2 cup
• red onion1/2 med
• iru1 tbsp
• ground crayfish1 tbsp
• dried thyme1 tsp
• Nigerian or yellow curry powder1/2 tsp
• chicken bouillon cube1 large

Method

1. 01

   Steam the chicken in its own juices to lock in the seasoning and extract a foundational stock.

   Place the chicken, roughly chopped onion, garlic, ginger, 2 bouillon cubes, 1 tsp curry powder, 1 tsp thyme, and salt in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-low heat without water. After 15 minutes of steaming, pour in the water, cover, and simmer for another 10 to 15 minutes until just cooked through, then remove the chicken and reserve the strained stock.

2. 02

   Roast or air-fry the boiled chicken until the skin is golden and the meat is firm.

   Preheat your oven to 400°F or an air-fryer to 375°F. Cook the chicken pieces for 15 to 20 minutes to achieve the resilient texture required to stand up to the heavy stew without the greasy mess of traditional deep-frying.

3. 03

   Pulse the tomatoes, bell peppers, habaneros, and quartered onion into a coarse paste without adding any liquid.

   Place the tomatoes at the bottom of a food processor to release their juices, followed by the rest of the vegetables, and pulse. Do not blend into a smooth puree.

4. 04

   Boil the coarse pepper mixture uncovered until almost all excess water evaporates into a thick paste.

   Pour the mixture into an empty medium pot over medium heat and boil for 15 to 20 minutes. This concentrates the flavor and prevents dangerous oil splatters later.

5. 05

   Fry the finely diced red onions in hot vegetable oil until deeply caramelized.

   Heat the oil in a large, wide pot over medium heat and fry the onions for a solid 5 to 8 minutes to sweeten the oil. Stir in the rinsed iru and let it fry for 1 minute to release its pungent, earthy aroma.

6. 06

   Fry the reduced pepper paste in the infused oil and build the stew's final flavor profile.

   Scoop the boiled-down pepper paste into the pot, stirring constantly for 5 minutes. Add the ground crayfish, remaining thyme, remaining curry powder, the final bouillon cube, and a half cup of your reserved chicken stock, then lower the heat, cover partially, and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.

7. 07

   Simmer the stew until the oil separates and floats to the surface in little red pools, signaling the flavors have perfectly melded.

   In Nigerian kitchens, this is when the stew has 'shown its face.' Gently fold in your roasted chicken pieces and let them simmer in the fiery sauce for 5 minutes to coat every inch of the meat. Taste for salt and serve immediately.

Notes

• Double the pepper base to freeze for fast weeknight dinners.

  Blend and boil down extra bell peppers, habaneros, tomatoes, and onions, then freeze in bags. When needed, simply fry some onions, add the thawed base and rotisserie chicken, and you have an authentic stew in fifteen minutes.

• Adjust the heat level by seeding the habaneros.

  If your household prefers a milder warmth, use just half of a seeded habanero. You will still capture the beautiful floral aroma characteristic of Nigerian cuisine without overwhelming the palate.