Jamaicans love all things Jamaican, no matter where in the world they are. I regularly cook Jamaican meals because let’s be honest, Jamaican food is the best! Lol. For this post, I prepared Jamaican rice and peas using pigeon peas. I also made stewed chicken that I fried first. And to top this off, I made lemon butter vegetables; using asparagus, green beans and carrots.
I used 2 big chicken breasts that I cut into smaller portions and seasoned them the night before using salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder and Jamaican Maggie chicken and all purpose seasoning and browning (this can be substituted with soy sauce). I also added diced carrots, Irish potatoes, scallions, white onions, tomatoes, thyme, rosemary and garlic. I rubbed all the herbs, vegetables and spices onto the chicken and placed it into a container in the refrigerator.
To cook the chicken, I placed oil in a skillet on medium- high heat. Once the oil was hot I put the chicken pieces in the pot to cook. Be sure to remove any of the herbs or other seasonings that might be stuck to the meat before putting it into the hot oil. I allowed the chicken to cook on both sides, after which I took them out and cooked the remaining chicken. When all the chicken has been cooked, I drained the excess oil from the pot and added the vegetables and herbs. I sauteed this and added some water so the vegetables can be cooked all the way through. I then added the cooked chicken to the pot and let them simmer with the vegetables. I then added some ketchup and reduced the heat to low to let the gravy thicken. Upon this point you can taste the gravy and adjust your seasonings. Once is gravy is thickened then your chicken is ready.
To cook the Rice and peas, I used canned pigeon peas. I placed this into a pot of boiling water. Water will be dependent on how many cans of peas and how many servings you wish to make. I brought the peas to a boil and then I added a packet of coconut milk powder. Next I added scallions, thyme, all spice and butter to the pot. After this I added the rice, once again, this is dependent on how many persons you are cooking for. I allowed the rice to cook and turned the heat down to low once there isn’t any water left. Then I allowed the rice to finish cooking. You can taste the rice to determine when it is cooked and you can add more water if needs be. (little by little)
To cook the vegetables, I cut up the carrots, green peas and asparagus into small pieces and placed them into boiling water for 5 to 7 minutes. After this, I drained the water and added about a tablespoon of butter as well as some black pepper and garlic powder. I then combined these with the vegetables.
Be sure to check out the video of me making this delicious Jamaican dish on my YouTube channel. What are some of your favorite Jamaican dishes? If you’ve never had a Jamaican meal before, you are seriously missing out. Comment below to let me know what you think of this dish I made. xoxo
