Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups red beans 
  
• 4 cups white rice
  
• 20 sprigs thyme
  
• 1 head of garlic 
  
• 2 onions
  
• 1 red bell pepper
  
• 2-3 Liters coconut milk 
  
• 4 stalks celery and leaves
  
• 1 Chile Panameño 
  
• 1/4 cup sugar 
  
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil (for cooking the chicken)
  
• 2 1/2 pounds chicken and thighs with skin on
  
• 3 Tbsp Cilantro 
  
• 1 teaspoon allspice
  
• 1 teaspoon nutmeg
  
• 1 tablespoon chipotle paste 
  
• 4 bay leaves
  
• 1 packet of dried chicken stock or bullion
  
• 1 tablespoon of garlic paste
  
• Salt to taste

Directions

Beans

• Put the beans in a pot with just enough water to cover them, turn the stove on low heat, and let them simmer. 
• Add 7-10 sprigs of thyme, 1 diced onion, and one liter of coconut milk to the pot and let everything simmer for around 1 hour. 
• After an hour, dice 2 cloves of garlic, 1/2 of the red bell pepper, celery, and one chile panameño, and add to the mixture.
• Then add another 1/2 liter of coconut milk. 
• Let simmer for 1-2 more hours until the beans are tender.

Chicken

• Put skillet on low heat
• Put sugar in the pan and let it melt until it turns golden brown. 
• Add a small amount of oil to the pan (around 2 tablespoons) and add chicken. 
• Cook and coat the chicken until the skin is covered with the golden brown sugar mixture. 
• Dice the second onion, one more clove of garlic, 5 sprigs of cilantro, the second 1/2 of the red pepper, celery (with the leaves) and add to the mixture. 
• Add 7 more sprigs of thyme and let sit for about 20 min on low heat.  
• Add a Liter of coconut milk to the pan, add spices, pepper, the packet of chicken stock, a dollop of garlic paste, and a dollop of chipotle paste. 
• Let sit for 10-15 more minutes until the coconut milk is simmering. 
• Once the coconut milk is simmering, add another 1/2 Liter of coconut milk, 4 bay leaves, about 1/4 cup of chopped cilantro and salt.
• Cook until chicken has cooked all the way through.

Put Chicken and Beans Together

• Dump the bean mixture (juices, sprigs and all) into a deep skillet or pot and keep simmering over low heat. 
• Add 4 cups of white rice to the mix. 
• Cook until rice is fully cooked. 
• To serve, scoop a generous amount of the rice and beans mixture into a bowl and top with chicken. 
• Make sure to pour a hearty amount of the sauce from the chicken onto the rice. 
• Typically, rice and beans is served with sweet plantain sautéed in butter. 
  

#maindish #glutenfree #staplefood

Recipe submitted by Maddy Eldrege - Peace Corps Volunteer, Costa Rica (2018)