Caribbean Brown Stewed Duck Wings
Learn how to make classic Caribbean brown stewed duck wings using an authentic stew technique with added orange juice for a rich, balanced flavor of the duck wings.
Ingredients
- 4 lbs duck wings
- 1 lime divided
- 1/2 tablespoon sea salt
- 3/4 tablespoon black pepper divided
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 1/2 tablespoon Caribbean green seasoning
- 1 tomato diced
- 1 medium onion diced
- 1 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 heaping tablespoon golden brown sugar
- 1 scotch bonnet pepper
- 2 slices fresh ginger
- 4 to 6 sprigs fresh thyme
- 6 to 8 cloves garlic
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1 cup orange juice
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 scallions green tops chopped
Instructions
- Wash the duck wings with the juice of half the lime and cool water. Drain well and set aside.
- Season the duck wings with the salt, half of the black pepper, Worcestershire sauce, Caribbean green seasoning, tomato, and onion. Mix thoroughly, cover, and marinate for at least 2 hours or overnight.
- Heat the oil in a heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add the brown sugar and allow it to melt, foam, and turn a deep amber color. Vent the kitchen as this step will produce smoke. Carefully add the seasoned duck wings and stir to coat evenly. If the sugar turns black, turn off the heat, allow the pot to cool completely, wash it, and start over to avoid bitterness.
- Cover the pot, reduce heat to medium, and cook for 5 minutes so the wings release their natural juices.
- Remove the lid, increase the heat, and allow any remaining liquid to cook off to deepen the color and intensify the stew flavor.
- Add the scotch bonnet pepper, thyme, garlic, remaining black pepper, and ginger. Stir well, then add the water and orange juice.
- Bring to a boil, add the bay leaves, reduce heat to a gentle simmer, and cook with the lid slightly ajar for 1 hour 30 minutes.
- Taste and adjust salt as needed. Add additional water if more gravy is desired. Finish with chopped scallions and serve hot with rice and peas.
Video
Notes
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use chicken instead of duck wings?Yes, chicken wings or chopped chicken can be used, but the cooking time will be shorter since chicken cooks faster than duck. Why is orange juice used in this brown stew?
While not traditional to Caribbean brown stew, the orange juice balances the richness of the duck and adds subtle sweetness without overpowering the dish. How do I avoid burning the sugar?
Watch the sugar closely and remove it from the heat if it darkens too quickly. Burnt sugar will make the stew bitter. Is this dish very spicy?
The heat level depends on whether the scotch bonnet pepper is left whole or pierced. Feel free to leave the scotch bonnet whole during the entire cooking process, allowing the dish to absorb the flavors of the oils from the skin of the pepper without the raw heat, compared to breaking the pepper. Once the dish has been cooking for an hour, you can remove the scotch bonnet and discard.
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