Background
Jerk chicken is a Caribbean delicacy, it was created by our forefathers to preserve meat as there was no refrigeration available.The person making this dish controls the spiciness of the dish.The original preparation time of this dish was three days, however, I have modified it to be done in two days, it is still tasty.
Ingredients
Brine for the chicken:
½ cup kosher salt
¼ cup sugar
1 tablespoon all spice(whole cloves)
5 garlic cloves-crushed
3 inches of ginger-chopped
2 lbs chicken pieces
1 gallon water
Directions
In a large pot bring water and all the spices to a boil, let this boil for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow water to cool completely.
Add the chicken pieces to water, cover and refrigerate overnight.
In the morning, take the chicken pieces from the water and dispose of the water and spices(they have done what they were supposed to do)
Dry chicken pieces with paper towel and apply the Jerk Paste (recipe below)
Jerk Paste Ingredients
¼ cup soy sauce
1 tablespoons thyme leaves
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon tamarind paste(optional)
1 teaspoon all spice(powder)
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
4 garlic cloves -chopped
2 bunches of scallions-chopped
½ habanero pepper-chopped-remove the seeds
2 inches of ginger peeled and chopped.
Directions
Place ingredients in a blender and puree. Coat chicken pieces in ¾ cup of jerk paste, ensure that you rub some of the paste under the skin, cover and refrigerate for 3-4 hours and up to 24 hours.
Note: this jerk paste can be bought from any supermarket in the neighborhood. The popular brand is Walker’s Wood but there are other brands and they are available in ‘hot’ or ‘mild’. The hot is really spicy, I love spicy food, but it is a little spicy for me, so I buy the mild and add pepper to taste.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Remove chicken pieces form the refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature, this takes about 1-2 hours.
Place chicken pieces in an oven safe dish or foil pan in single layer, cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.
Uncover the pan and bake for an additional 15 minutes, then broil for 2-3 minutes to ensure that the skin is golden brown and slightly crispy.
This can be served with Rice and peas(recipe will be in the next newsletter) or with a green salad.
For additional flavor, I make a BBQ sauce to base the chicken as it is baking. This is optional, the jerk chicken is tasty without the sauce, but I prefer to add the sauce to give the dish that ‘kick’.
Sauce Ingredients
2 tbsp. oil
¼ cup minced ginger
10 garlic cloves-minced
3 yellow onions chopped
31/2 cups ketchup
11/2 cups brown sugar
½ cup jerk paste
Directions
Heat oil and add all the other ingredients, except the jerk paste, cook for ½ hour.
Remove from heat, add the jerk paste and blend to make a smooth sauce.
Use 1 cup of BBQ sauce and baste chicken every 5 minutes for the final 15 minutes of cooking time.
The unused sauce can be served separately for additional ‘dunking’.
Enjoy.
