Brown Stew Chicken

Rub the chicken, jointed into 8, with the juice of the lime — a Jamaican habit that also freshens the meat. Do not rinse it under the tap, which splashes raw-chicken bacteria round the sink. Pat dry.

Crush the garlic, chop the spring onions, slice the onion, deseed and slice the red pepper, and cut the carrot into rounds. Season the chicken hard with salt, freshly ground black pepper, half the crushed garlic, half the chopped spring onions and some thyme, and leave in the fridge for at least 1 hour.

Heat the oil in a heavy pot, add the sugar and let it melt and go dark amber. It should smell toasted, not burnt — this is browning, and it happens fast.

Lay the chicken in and turn it in the caramel until dark on all sides. Lift it out.

Soften the sliced onion, the remaining garlic and spring onions, then add the soy, the ketchup, the whole allspice berries and the remaining thyme.

Return the chicken, pour in the stock and add the scotch bonnet chillies, left whole. Simmer covered for 30 minutes.

Add the carrot rounds and the sliced red pepper and cook uncovered for 15 minutes more, until the gravy has reduced and thickened and the chicken is cooked through, with no pink at the bone.

Lift the chilli out whole before serving.