Smoky Jollof Rice with Chicken Thighs

Ingredients

• 2 cups long-grain rice, rinsed
• 1 lb Chicken Thighs
• 3 tomatoes + 1 red pepper + 1 scotch bonnet, blended
• 1 onion, diced
• 3 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp curry powder + 1 tsp thyme + 2 bay leaves
• ⅓ cup neutral or palm oil
• Fried plantain to serve

Method

1. Brown the Chicken Thighs and set aside. Fry the onion and tomato paste in the oil until it darkens, then add the blended pepper mix and cook down hard, 15 minutes, until reduced and glossy — this concentrated base is the soul of jollof.
2. Stir in the spices, then the rice, coating every grain. Add stock to just cover and nestle the Chicken Thighs back in.
3. Cover tight and cook low, undisturbed, until the rice is tender and — if you're lucky — the bottom lightly toasts into the prized smoky crust.
4. Fluff gently and serve with fried plantain.