Red Stew with Chicken

Ingrédients

1 teaspoon curry powder OR dried thyme OR 1 teaspoon each

Kosher salt and ground black pepper

2 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs OR drumsticks OR breasts (halved crosswise) OR a combination, trimmed

28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes

1 cup roasted red peppers, drained and patted dry

4 or 5 jalapeño OR Fresno chilies OR 2 habanero chilies, stemmed and seeded

1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped OR 1½ teaspoons ground ginger

2 tablespoons grapeseed or other neutral oil

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

1½ pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks (optional)

Optional garnish: Chopped fresh cilantro OR chopped scallions

Instructions

In a small bowl, stir together the curry powder, 2 teaspoons salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Sprinkle the chicken all over with the spice mix, rubbing it into the meat; set aside.

In a blender, combine the tomatoes with juices, roasted red peppers, chilies and ginger. Puree until smooth, scraping the jar as needed, about 1 minute; set aside.

In a large Dutch oven over medium-high, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the chicken, skin side down, and cook until browned on the bottom, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip the pieces and cook until browned on the second sides, 2 to 3 minutes, then transfer to a large plate and set aside.

Return the Dutch oven to medium; add the onion and ¼ teaspoon each salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened and golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add the tomato-pepper puree; simmer, uncovered and stirring occasionally, until a spatula leaves a trail when drawn through the mixture, 16 to 20 minutes.

Stir in the sweet potatoes (if using), then nestle in the chicken and pour in the accumulated juices. Bring to a simmer over medium-high, then cover, reduce to medium-low and cook, stirring and turning the chicken occasionally, until a skewer inserted into the largest chicken piece meets no resistance and the sweet potatoes are tender (if used), 35 to 40 minutes. Off heat, taste and season with salt and pepper.

Notes

With a tomato–red pepper puree as its base and aromatic flavorings such as ginger, chilies and curry powder, Nigerian red stew can include almost any type of meat or fish. For our simplified version of the braise, we chose bone-in chicken parts and included sweet potatoes to lend a bit more substance (the sweet potatoes are, however, optional). A couple pantry items—canned tomatoes and jarred roasted peppers—supply the “red” in our red stew. We seed the fresh chilies to tame their spiciness, but if you’re seeking a little heat, leave in some or all of the seeds.