Liberian Chicken Gravy

A tasty stew that will awaken your taste buds and make them fall in love. Loaded with chicken, fish, and shrimp, plus an added layer of bell pepper, this stew is utterly flavorful.

Course Main

Cuisine African

Diet Gluten Free

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 40

Total Time 1

Servings

Calories 668kcal

Author Imma

Ingredients

2-3 pounds (900-1,400g) chicken, cut up
salt and pepper to taste
½ teaspoon (1g) paprika
1 tablespoon (10g) chicken bouillon (optional)
2 medium onions, chopped (one for the broth and one for the sauce)
2-3 fresh tomatoes (see notes)
2-3 large red bell peppers
1 green bell pepper
5 cloves garlic
½ teaspoon (﹤1g) ginger, chopped
1 or more scotch bonnet or habanero pepper
¼ cup (12-15g) fresh herbs (I used basil and parsley)
½ teaspoon (1g) cayenne pepper
1-2 tablespoons (14-28g) tomato paste
2-3 tablespoons (30-45ml) cooking oil (vegetable, canola, corn)
1½-2 pounds (680-900g) fried fish steaks (any firm fish, but I love these catfish nuggets)
1 pound (450g) large shrimp, cleaned and deveined

Instructions

Boil chicken with salt, pepper, paprika, chicken bouillon, and one chopped onion in a medium pot until the chicken is tender. Cooking time varies according to the size of the chicken pieces.
Reserve the broth for later (the excess is great for freezing).
In a food processor or blender, puree tomatoes, bell pepper, onion, garlic, ginger, hot pepper, basil, and parsley.
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a heavy-duty pot, then add the pureed bell pepper blend and tomato paste.
Sauté for 10-15 minutes to blend all the flavors and reduce the tomato sauce's acidity. Stir frequently as the sauce simmers, adding reserved chicken broth or water as needed to keep it from burning.
Next, add the chicken and fried fish sticks with about 2 cups of stock. Simmer for another 10 minutes.
Toss in shrimp if using, and cook for another 3-5 minutes.
Adjust seasonings. Then, adjust consistency with reserved broth.

Notes

The basic ingredients for this stew are some sort of protein (chicken, fish, beef, shrimp), tomatoes, tomato paste, and spices according to taste. You can omit the fish.

Ingredient Selection

Tomatoes: Canned tomatoes, fresh tomatoes, or both work fine. Roma tomatoes are preferable because they're drier for a more flavorful and thicker stew with less acidity
Onions: Any variety works, coupled with green onions. Chop or puree together with tomatoes.
Spices: There are a few spices that are often used in stews depending on one's preference - curry, white pepper, paprika, garlic, bay leaf, and ginger
Herbs: Basil, parsley, celery, and thyme are the most common
Vegetables: Any vegetable, like carrots, green beans, and bell peppers

Please remember that the nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on the products used in the recipe.

Nutrition