Poul nan Sòs
“Haitian creole chicken — bone-in pieces marinated in citrus and epis (Haiti's pounded herb-and-pepper paste), seared, then braised in a tomato-onion-scotch-bonnet sauce with bell pepper and olives. Served over white rice with sòs Ti-Malis on the side. Sunday-lunch standard across the Haitian diaspora.”
Where it comes from
The epis (Haitian sofrito) marinade is the dish's anchor — green pepper, parsley, thyme, garlic, scotch bonnet, all pounded into a paste that goes into nearly every Haitian savory cook. Method came via French colonial kitchens; the ingredients are Caribbean and West African. The dish is on every Haitian-restaurant menu in Brooklyn and Miami.
On the plate
Chicken is fork-tender, skin browned and slightly tomato-stained; pulling meat off the bone is effortless. Sauce is bright with tomato acid, deep with epis aromatics, glossy with chicken fat — every drop coats the rice. Green olives add salty bursts between bites. Pikliz on the side cuts the richness whenever you want.
How it works
Epis-marinade-then-wipe is the technique: long contact lets enzymes and acid penetrate the meat, but searing wet would steam not brown. Pounded epis paste releases more aromatic oils than chopped because cell walls are broken; this is structural. Olives stay whole (not chopped) so they don't dissolve into the sauce.
Variations
Diaspora version often adds carrots and potatoes for a one-pot stew. Boucan version smokes the chicken first over allspice wood before braising — Cap-Haïtien rural tradition. Some cooks substitute red bell pepper for green for sweeter sauce.
On the Palate
Ingredients
Serves 4
How it's made
7 steps · Show ↓35 min active · 85 min waiting
How it's made
7 steps · Show ↓- 110 min
Cut 1.2 kg whole chicken into 8 bone-in pieces. Pat dry.
- 265 min
Epis marinade: blend 4 garlic, 1 chopped onion, 1 bell pepper, 1 scotch bonnet, 1 tbsp thyme, ¼ cup parsley, juice of 2 limes, 1 tbsp salt. Rub onto chicken. Refrigerate 1 hour.
- 312 min
Heat 3 tbsp oil in a heavy pot. Wipe excess epis off chicken (reserve). Sear chicken in batches 4 min per side. Set aside.
- 46 min
Add reserved epis to pot, sauté 4 min. Add 400 g diced tomatoes, 2 tbsp tomato paste, 1 cup chicken stock, 2 bay leaves. Bring to simmer.
- 536 min
Return chicken to pot, skin side up. Add ½ cup pitted green olives. Cover, low heat, simmer 35 min.
- 65 min
Uncover, increase heat 5 min to reduce sauce. Sauce should coat chicken glossy.
- 73 min
Serve over white rice with a spoon of sòs Ti-Malis alongside.
