This fiery recipe for Jamaican Jerk Chicken will keep your guests coming back for more.
There is nothing like saddling up to a big plate of jerk chicken and a cold Red Stripe beer on a hot day. The spicier the better. It gets the blood flowing.
"Jerk" is a Jamaican method of cooking that uses a fiery spice blend for anything from pork to tofu. Chicken happens to be the most common but don't be afraid to use whatever meat (or meat substitute) you're in the mood for.
History
The term "jerk" comes from the Spanish word "charqui", which means dried meat. It has the same root as the word "jerky", as in beef jerky.The cooking method is a combination of Caribbean cooking styles influenced by the African slave communities.
The Caribs, a native Caribbean group known for their aggressiveness and their cooking, would construct makeshift grills of green sticks over an open fire to prepare jerkies and grilled meats. The Maroons, runaway slaves brought over from Africa to work as sugar plantation slaves, introduced their methods of meat preparation to the Arawak indians of the Caribbean. The Arawak combined these African cooking techniques with local Caribbean ingredients.
The Arawak were constantly raided by the Carib tribes and many of their women were taken as captives. The combination of these three cultures: Carib, Arawak, and African, has lead to this cooking technique.
Because the history of this technique is so varied, there is a lot of flexibility here so get creative with your spice blends. The one rule for jerk: don't skimp on the spices even if you cut down on the heat.
Jerk Chicken Spice Blend
Ingredients
- 1 Tbl. ground allspice
- 1 Tbl. ground thyme
- 1 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
- 1 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
- 1 1/2 tsp. ground sage
- 3/4 tsp. ground nutmeg
- 3/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 3/4 tsp. minced ginger
- 2 Tbls. fresh garlic (crushed)
- 1 Tbls. brown sugar or molasses
- 1/4 C. Soy sauce
- 1/4 C. dark rum (optional, but encouraged)
- 3/4 C. white vinegar
- 1/2 C. orange juice
- Juice of 1 lime
- 2 Scotch bonnet peppers
- 3 green onions, diced
- 1 C. white onion, diced
Procedure
1) Put all the ingredients in a blender and whiz until smooth.
Jerk Chicken
Ingredients
- Spice Blend
- 2 lbs. of chicken pieces (I always encourage people to use legs and thighs, but breasts will work as well)
- Lime for garnish
Procedure
- Place chicken in a large freezer bag and pour in spice blend. Place in a bowl to make sure there isn't any leakage and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, but up to a day is preferable.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees or grill. If using an oven, place chicken skin side up on a roasting pan and roast until cooked through (about 45 minutes) flipping once halfway through the process. If using a grill, place chicken skin-side down and grill until skin becomes crisp. Flip and finishing cooking thoroughly. Don't be afraid to blacken the chicken with this recipe.
This is a great recipe to serve with Rice and Peas.
