-
1
Clean & Marinate the Chicken
30 Mins
Room temperature, about 20°C (68°F)
Rub the chicken pieces with the lime juice and the squeezed lime halves, rinse under cold running water and pat completely dry with paper towels. Blend the parsley, scallions, garlic, bell pepper and 80g onion into a coarse paste, then massage it into the chicken with the salt and pepper. Cover and marinate for at least 30 minutes.
Marinating overnight in the fridge gives the deepest flavour — take the chicken out 15 minutes before cooking.
Done when: Chicken evenly coated in green epis, with no pools of liquid in the bowl.
-
2
Brown the Chicken (Sòf)
10 Mins
Medium-high heat, about 200°C (400°F)
Heat the olive oil in a heavy pot or Dutch oven until it shimmers. Shake the excess marinade off the chicken pieces and brown them skin-side down, in batches, for 4–5 minutes a side until deeply golden. Lift them out and set aside.
Do not crowd the pot — crowded chicken steams instead of browning, and browning is where the flavour comes from.
Done when: Deep golden-brown skin with crisp edges.
-
3
Fry the Tomato Paste
5 Mins
Medium heat, about 180°C (350°F)
Lower the heat to medium and add the sliced onion wedges and the remaining epis to the pot, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom. Cook for 3–4 minutes until softened, then add the tomato paste and fry it, stirring constantly, for 2–3 minutes until it darkens to a brick red.
Frying the paste until it darkens — the sòf — is what gives the sauce its deep, savoury colour; burnt paste turns bitter, so keep stirring.
Done when: Onions soft, tomato paste dark brick-red and smelling sweet and savoury.
-
4
Braise Low & Slow
45 Mins
Low simmer, about 95°C (200°F)
Pour in the chicken broth, stirring to dissolve the paste, then return the chicken and any juices to the pot. Add the thyme, cloves and the whole Scotch bonnet, bring to a gentle simmer, then cover and cook on low for 40–45 minutes, turning the pieces once, until the chicken is fork-tender and the thickest part reaches 74°C (165°F).
Keep the Scotch bonnet whole — it perfumes the sauce without making it fiercely hot.
Done when: Chicken tender enough to pull apart, sauce thickened and glossy, 74°C (165°F) at the centre.
-
5
Reduce & Finish with Butter
10 Mins
Medium heat, about 180°C (350°F)
Lift the chicken out and keep it warm. Turn the heat up and simmer the sauce uncovered for 5–8 minutes until it coats a spoon, then stir in the butter until it melts and the sauce turns silky. Fish out the Scotch bonnet and return the chicken to the pot, spooning sauce over it.
The butter is the finish — it gives the sauce shine and rounds off the acidity of the tomato.
Done when: A thick, glossy sauce that clings to the chicken.
-
6
Rest & Serve
5 Mins
Serving temperature, about 70°C (158°F)
Rest the pot off the heat for 5 minutes so the sauce settles, then serve the chicken over white rice with plenty of sauce spooned over the top.
Resting lets the sauce thicken slightly and the flavours come together.
Done when: Hot chicken in a glossy red sauce, ready for rice.
auto_awesome Finishing Touches & Plating
Serve the poulet en sauce hot over white rice, with the glossy tomato and epis sauce spooned generously over the chicken.
Haiti
2h 10m
