Food

Poule Nan Sos (Chicken in Sauce) Recipe

Chicken is marinated overnight in citrus, chilies, and aromatics, then slowly braised with sweet bell peppers in this comforting Haitian stew.
Poule Nan Sos
Photo by Eva Kosmas Flores

Serves: 4
Prep time: 25 minutes, plus at least 12 hours marinating
Total time: 1 hour and 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS

for marinating the chicken:
3 pounds|1.4 kg mixed bone-in chicken thighs and drumsticks, rinsed and patted dry 
3 tablespoons kosher salt 1 juicy orange, halved
1 juicy lime, halved
1 juicy lemon, halved 
2 medium yellow onions, cut into ⅛-inch half-moon slices 
8 garlic cloves, roughly sliced 
2 Scotch bonnet or habanero chiles, cut in half and sliced thin
¼ cup|6 grams fresh thyme leaves 

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for the dish:
⅓ cup|80 ml extra-virgin olive oil 
½ cup|165 grams tomato paste
1 tablespoon kosher salt 
2 red bell peppers, seeded and deveined, cut into long, thin slices 
2 yellow bell peppers, seeded and deveined, cut into long, thin slices 
2 cups|500 ml chicken stock, salted homemade or store-bought 
small handful roughly chopped parsley sprigs 

DIRECTIONS

  1. Marinate the chicken: Put the chicken pieces in a large bowl and season with the salt. Squeeze the citrus halves over the chicken, then spend a minute or so rubbing the cut sides of the citrus against the chicken. Add the onions, garlic, chile, and thyme and toss well, rubbing the chicken as you do. Cover and marinate in the fridge for at least 12 hours or up to 48 hours. 
  2. Make the dish: Preheat the oven to 375°F. Remove the chicken from the marinade, guiding any stuck-on aromatics back into the bowl. Set a strainer over a small mixing bowl. Pour the marinade through the strainer, reserving the solids and liquid. Pat the chicken very dry with paper towels. 
  3. Heat the oil in a wide, heavy, ovenproof pot (I use a 3 ½-quart braiser) over medium-high heat just until shimmery. Cook the chicken, skin-side down, occasionally turning the drumsticks but not the thighs, until the skin is deep brown about 8 minutes. Transfer the chicken pieces to a plate. 
  4. Reduce the heat to medium-low, add the tomato paste and salt, and cook, stirring often, until it turns several shades darker, about 3 minutes. Add the bell peppers and the reserved solids from the marinade, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the peppers soften slightly and take on a little color, about 8 to 10 minutes. 
  5. Return the chicken to the pan, skin side up and in a single layer, then take a minute to pile the peppers, onions, and other aromatics on top of the chicken. Then evenly pour in the reserved liquid from the marinade along with the stock. Cook in the oven, basting every 15 minutes to coat the chicken with the peppers and sauce, until the sauce has thickened slightly and the meat pulls off the bone with a gentle tug from a fork, about 1 hour. Garnish with the parsley and serve. 

From the book EVERYONE’S TABLE by Gregory Gourdet and JJ Goode. Copyright ©2021 by Gregory Gourdet and JJ Goode. Published by Harper Wave, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. Reprinted by permission.

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