Estate Dinners
Slow Cooker Caribbean Stew with Herb Oil and Yellow Rice
The Strategy:
Slow-cooking chicken, sweet potatoes, and black beans with warm spices like allspice and cumin yields a rich, complex Caribbean-style stew. Adding savory chorizo to the pot brings a deep, smoky undertone that balances the sweetness of the potatoes. Serve this hearty stew over warm yellow rice and garnish with a bright, homemade cilantro-orange oil.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 boneless chicken breast halves, cut into ½-inch pieces
- 1 pound fresh chorizo sausage, casing removed if you have links
- 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes, about 3 cups
- 1 large onion, peeled and diced, about 1 ½ cups
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced, about 1 tablespoon
- 1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes with liquid
- 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon coarse black pepper
- ½ teaspoon allspice
- ½ teaspoon cumin
- 1 bunch cilantro, stems removed, about ½ cup leaves
- Zest of 1 large orange, about 1 tablespoon
- ½ cup olive oil
- Cooked yellow rice
Instructions
- Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add the chicken to the skillet and cook until golden on all sides, about 3 to 5 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the chicken to your slow cooker. Do this in batches depending on the size of your skillet.
- Add the chorizo to the skillet and cook until browned and crumbly, about 5 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the sausage to the slow cooker.
- Add the sweet potato, onion, and garlic to the slow cooker.
- Pour in the diced tomatoes and black beans.
- Stir in the tomato paste.
- Season with paprika, thyme, some of the salt and pepper and the allspice and cumin.
- Set the slow cooker on high and cook until the veggies are soft, and the chicken is cooked through, about 4 hours.
- Place the cilantro leaves and orange zest in the bowl of a food processor. With the blade running, slowly pour in ½ cup olive oil.
- Season the herb oil with salt and pepper.
- Place a spoonful of yellow rice in the bottom of a bowl. Ladle the stew over the top. Garnish with a drizzle of herb oil.
Cook’s Tip
Here’s a “who knew?” kinda tip. It turns out, that spicy food like peppers and hot spices are prevalent in cuisine found in warmer climates for a reason. Eating spicy food can, in fact, cool you off. Your body perspires as a reaction to the heat and, therefore, your skin cools off. Contrarily, ice cream can warm you up. Foods with carbohydrates, fats, and proteins will cool you for a bit, but the energy your body expels digesting will warm you up. So, when you are luxuriating in the Caribbean sand, ask the waiter for a bowlful of peppers rather than an ice cream cone.
The full recipe lives in the Vault
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The Heart of the Table
This steaming bowl of Caribbean stew brings a sunny, tropical warmth to the table, filling the kitchen with the aromatic scents of citrus, cumin, and slow-cooked sausage. It is a comforting, soul-satisfying meal that instantly lifts the spirits and makes everyone feel cozy and well-fed.
- a 6-quart programmable slow cooker in a brushed stainless finish
- a heavy-gauge, polished stainless steel ladle with an ergonomic handle
- a set of organic, hand-glazed stoneware soup bowls in a soft sage green
- a seamless, high-heat resistant silicone spatula in a soft slate gray
- a fine-blade microplane zester with an ergonomic soft-grip handle
Neighborly Grace
- THE PRESENTATION: Ladle the rich stew over a bed of bright yellow rice in a deep ceramic bowl, drizzling the vibrant green herb oil over the top for a gorgeous contrast.
- THE POUR: A chilled, off-dry Riesling or a sparkling tropical punch garnished with fresh orange wheels.
- THE VIBE: Evening Dining Room. Under the soft glow of table lamps, guests enjoy the hearty, fragrant stew, keeping the atmosphere warm and cheerful.
