Recipe
1 tablespoon oil
2 tablespoon brown sugar (can use white)
1 cup of chopped chicken breast
2 tablespoons minced shallots
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 red/green trinidad pimento or jalapeños
2 tablespoon cooking/white wine
1 cup of risotto/arborio rice
4-6 cups of warmed coconut milk (see notes)
1/4 cup sweet green peas
1/2 cup sweet corn kernals
1 tablespoon finely minced culantro or cilantro
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1 tablespoon salted butter
1 teaspoon salt and white pepper
Directions
For the chicken breast before using it make sure it is washed and patted dry with paper towels. Cut into small 1 inch cubes.
Place the coconut milk in a sauce pan on the stove and keep it warm.
Season the chicken breast with salt and black pepper.
Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a wide skillet.
Add the sugar. This step is important. Do not walk away when you are doing this.
The sugar will melt and start to bubble. Look for small, slow bubbling. The color will change to dark, brown. (try to watch the video below) Once you get to the rapid bubbling, add the chicken. Be very careful as it will sputter and burn.
Once the chicken has been added, keep stirring it until you see the color start to change to a golden brown.
Next add the shallots, peppers and garlic. Saute for a minute.
Add the wine. Once the wine has cooked off, then add the arborio rice. Season with salt and pepper.
Let the rice toast for about 4 minutes, stirring it.
Once the rice starts to stick to the skillet, start adding the coconut milk 1 cup at a time. Each time you add a cup of milk, you need to stir it constantly.
After each cup has cooked off then you add another cup. Taste your rice for texture, if the rice is still crunchy, keep adding milk and cooking. If it is creamy, add the peas, corn and butter.
Add the culantro/cilantro and parsley. Adjust the salt and pepper to your liking if necessary.
Leave some liquid in the rice, this is what you call a ‘wet pelau’. Plus it is great for reheating!
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