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Bahamian chicken souse
Souse: chicken in a hot lime and allspice broth
In the Bahamas, souse is the Saturday-morning cure after a late Friday: chicken (or sheep tongue or pig's feet, for the old-timers) simmered in a clear, sharp broth of lime juice, allspice, onion, potatoes and hot pepper, eaten with johnnycake. It is light, sour, peppery and very reviving. The common mistake is adding the lime too early and boiling it, which makes the broth bitter; most goes in at the end. Use bone-in pieces for flavour. Chef's tip: let the bowl sit for a few minutes after serving so the lime mellows into the broth.
- Total time
- 65 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 2 ⅝ lb bone-in chicken thighs and drumsticksskinned
- 1.5 litres water
- 1 tsp whole allspice berries
- 2 onionssliced
- 2 sticks celerysliced
- 1 ⅛ lb potatoespeeled, in chunks
- 1 scotch bonnet or goat pepperpierced once
- 2 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- ½ cup lime juiceabout 6 limes
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Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Put 2 ⅝ lb bone-in chicken thighs and drumsticks, 1.5 litres water, 1 tsp whole allspice berries, 2 bay leaves, 2 onions, 2 sticks celery, 1 scotch bonnet or goat pepper and 2 tsp salt in a large pot and bring to the boil. Skim off any foam.
10 minStep 2: Simmer gently for 20 minutes, then add 1 ⅛ lb potatoes.
20 minStep 3: Simmer 20 minutes more, until the potatoes are soft and the chicken reaches 165°F at the bone with clear juices.
20 minStep 4: Take off the heat and stir in ½ cup lime juice and 1 tsp black pepper. Taste and add more lime or salt as you like, lift out the pepper and serve in deep bowls.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 380 kcal
- Protein
- 36 g
- Carbs
- 25 g
- Fat
- 14 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does bahamian chicken souse take?
- About 65 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 50 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Is it very spicy?
- It has some heat. Use less chilli for a milder version, or more if you like it hot.
- What can I use instead of bay leaves?
- Leave it out, or a pinch of dried thyme (it's a background flavour).
- What can I use instead of onions?
- 2 shallots per onion.
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