SERVES:6 to 8
TOTAL TIME: 1 hour 15 minutes
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS A Caribbean pepper pot is a classic island dish traditionally made with beef, mutton, or pork and aggressively flavored with hot peppers. Okra and cassava are typical vegetable additions. We used skinless, boneless chicken thighs for a lighter dinner option, and the combination of okra, collards, and sweet potatoes (a more convenient alternative to cassava) made this a flavorful and colorful one-pot meal. One Scotch bonnet pepper was all it took to give this dish its characteristic heat, while allspice and thyme lent Caribbean authenticity. While we prefer the flavor and texture of fresh okra in this recipe, you can substitute frozen cut okra, thawed and thoroughly patted dry, for fresh. Skip step 1 if using frozen okra.
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 pound okra, stemmed
- Salt and pepper
- 1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 onion, chopped fine
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon ground allspice
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1 Scotch bonnet chile, stemmed, seeded, and minced
- 2¼ pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 pound collard greens, stemmed and chopped
- Lime wedges
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Toss okra with 1 teaspoon salt in colander and let sit for 1 hour, tossing again halfway through. Rinse well, cut into 1-inch pieces, and set aside.
- Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add chicken and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to bowl.
- Reduce heat to medium-low, add onion to now-empty pot, and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, tomato paste, thyme, and allspice and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add chicken broth, chile, sweet potatoes, collard greens, and chicken along with any accumulated juices and bring to simmer over medium-high heat. Cook until chicken and sweet potatoes are almost tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Add okra and cook until chicken and potatoes are completely tender, about 5 minutes.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve with lime wedges.
