Habanerno Chicken Jerktoufee
Submitted by Chef_Mariel
Habanero chicken jerktoufee blends Cajun etouffee with Caribbean jerk spices. Chicken breast in a creamy roux-thickened sauce with tasso, habanero, and jalapeno, served over cornbread.
YIELD
6 servingsPREP
10 minCOOK
40 minREADY
1 hrsPart etouffee, part jerk chicken, all fire. This Cajun-Caribbean mashup takes chicken breast and runs it through a full-flavored gauntlet: butter-sauteed, then bathed in a creamy sauce built on a dark caramel roux, habanero, jalapeno, and smoky tasso.
The roux is the foundation here. Cook the flour in oil until it turns the color of peanut butter, stirring the whole time so it doesn’t scorch. That deep, toasty roux is what gives the sauce its body and nutty backbone. Rush it and you’ll taste raw flour. Burn it and you start over.
Served over a thick square of cornbread instead of rice, which soaks up the rich sauce like a sponge.
Chef Tips
- Seed the habanero carefully and wash your hands immediately after. The oils linger and will find their way to your eyes if you’re not careful.
- Add the roux gradually, a tablespoon at a time. You may not need all of it. Stop when the sauce coats the back of a spoon without being gloppy.
- Let the sauce reduce by half before adding the roux. This concentrates the cream, stock, and tomato flavors so you’re thickening something that’s already intense.
- Tasso can be hard to find outside Louisiana. Smoked andouille or even thick-cut smoked ham works as a substitute.
Variations
- Dial back the heat by using a scotch bonnet instead of habanero (slightly sweeter) or skip the habanero and double the jalapeno.
- Use bone-in thighs instead of breast for richer, more forgiving meat that won’t dry out in the sauce.
Ingredients
Directions
Season the chicken pieces with chicken seasoning.
Melt ½ pound butter in a 4-quart saucepan.
Add the chicken pieces and sauté until cooked, about 7 minutes.
Remove the chicken and drain it on paper towels.
Pour off the butter from the saucepan and then add all the vegetables and seasonings.
Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften, about 10 to 15 minutes.
As the vegetables soften, make a roux.
Heat the vegetable oil until it begins to smoke.
Reduce the heat and add a small amount of flour and stir to combine.
Keep adding the flour in small amounts until all the flour is incorporated with the oil and the flour mixture is caramel colored.
Stir constantly to keep the roux from scorching.
When the vegetables have softened, add the cream, chicken stock, tomato sauce, cooked chicken and tasso.
Cook until the liquid has reduced by half.
Add the roux, one tablespoon at a time until the mixture has thickened moderately.
Stir in the rest of the butter, one tablespoon at a time, until incorporated.
Serve over a large square of cornbread.
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