Ellens Jerk Chicken Recipes

A TASTE OF JAMAICA: AUTHENTIC JAMAICAN JERK CHICKEN - A RECIPE BY EXECUTIVE CHEF DWIGHT MORRIS

Steps:

• Place all ingredients for base in a blender or food processor and process until smooth.
• Use to marinate chicken for at least 4 hours, but preferably overnight, before cooking on the barbecue.
• Grill on the barbecue until fully cooked.
• Add all ingredients listed for the Jerk sauce to a pan over low heat and allow to simmer for 30 minutes to an hour, stirring often. Add more juice or beer to thin the sauce, alternatively, simmer longer for a thicker sauce.
• Spoon this sauce over the cooked jerk chicken, serving extra for those who want a little more.

HOMESTYLE JERK CHICKEN

Steps:

• I should start this by saying my home version of Jerk Chicken is different from the street-food, hot and crisp, that I've eaten in Jamaica straight out of what looks like a metal barrel on its side. Well, it would be different, wouldn't it? It's not that I haven't tried to replicate the recipe, using whole quarters of chicken, with the bone still in and the skin still on, but it hasn't felt right. A domestic oven just doesn't get hot enough, and so although the spiced chili crust gets gratifyingly crisp, the skin doesn't - it can't - and flabby skin is just not to be countenanced. Thus, although the vinegary, limey, rum and spiced marinade makes the meat lusciously tender, you have to jettison its outer casing entirely. This seems too much of a waste to me.
• Now, you will rarely find me suggesting breast meat, let alone a breast fillet, so you have to believe me when I say that the heat of the marinade, and the meat's edible carapace work best when offset against the meltingly tender white meat within. And, in turn, I must say that I have never managed to make, or find, white meat that turns out so luscious and succulent. It's a miracle all round. I'm stunned, but grateful. I have nothing to add, save the suggestion that you could consider working the same magic with some lean pork tenderloin as well.
• Don't cook this, though, unless you like it hot. And I mean hot. There's no point choosing to cook this and then trying to find a way to tame it, say by taking out the seeds from the chili (though you could if you must). Besides, although it packs a major punch, the sweet, creamy, coconutty rice that just must be served with it, offers the perfect counterbalancing salve.
• Slash the chicken breasts, 3 slashes a breast, each cut about 3/4-inch deep on the diagonal. Put in a rectangular dish, slashed-side down. Put all the other ingredients in the processor and blitz to a dark, earthy paste and pour and spread over the chicken pieces and leave to marinate out of the refrigerator for 2 to 4 hours or in the refrigerator, (covered), overnight.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Double-line a shallow roasting pan with aluminium foil. Tip into it the chicken with its marinade, slashed side up and roast for 30 minutes.
• Take the pan out of the oven, just to pour off excess watery juices. Use a pastry brush and spoon to place any paste back on the chicken and cook for a further 30 minutes, by which time the chicken will be cooked through and tender with a thick fiery crust. You could get started on the Rice and Peas once the chicken's back in the oven for its final stint.
• For serving: Pile up each dinner plate with coconutty rice and sit a piece of hot-crusted chicken proudly on top.
• Make Ahead Note: Jerk paste can be made 1 day ahead. Transfer to non-metallic bowl and press a piece of plastic wrap onto the surface. Cover bowl tightly with second layer of plastic wrap and refrigerate. The chicken can be marinated up to 24 hours in advance. Cover dish tightly with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator.
• Freeze Note: The chicken in its marinade can be frozen, in a resealable bag, for up to 1 month. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator - put the bag in a bowl to catch any leaks.
• Making leftovers right: Should you have leftovers - and don't count on it if you're 6 round the table - refrigerate as soon as cooled and within 1 to 2 days you can simply snip some chicken into the rice and reheat until piping hot. However, I love this in a new form: a thick, coconutty soup punctured by fiery bursts of tender meat. Add some coconut milk and chicken broth to the leftover rice, along with some freshly grated gingerroot and a spritz of lime juice, and heat up, adding the chicken, cut into small strips or small chunks, once it starts bubbling. When the meat's piping hot, season to taste then pour your soup into a bowl (or bowls) and scatter with freshly chopped cilantro and slurp gratefully.
• Drain and rinse the gungo peas, and heat the oil in a heavy based saucepan that has a lid. Fry the onion for about 5 minutes, stirring every now and again, letting it soften and brown a little. Then add the chopped chile and garlic, and give everything a good stir around. Now stir in the rice, making sure it is all slicked with oil, then pour in the coconut milk and chicken or vegetable broth and stir in the drained gungo peas. Bring to a bubble, clamp on the lid, and turn down the heat to very low and let it cook gently for 15 minutes.
• Check the rice is cooked through and the liquid is all absorbed - give the rice another 5 minutes if it needs it. Sprinkle with the freshly chopped thyme and season with salt if desired, forking it through.

JERK CHICKEN WITH RICE & PEAS

Steps:

• To make the jerk marinade, combine the spring onions, ginger, garlic, onion, scotch bonnet chillies, dried thyme, lime juice, soy sauce, vegetable oil, brown sugar and ground allspice in a food processor along with 1 tsp salt, and blend to a purée. If you're having trouble getting it to blend, just keep turning off the blender, stirring the mixture, and trying again. Eventually it will start to blend up - don't be tempted to add water, as you want a thick paste.
• Taste the jerk mixture for seasoning - it should taste pretty salty, but not unpleasantly, puckering salty. You can now throw in more chillies if it's not spicy enough for you. If it tastes too salty and sour, try adding in a bit more brown sugar until the mixture tastes well balanced.
• Make a few slashes in 12 chicken thighs and pour the marinade over the meat, rubbing it into all the crevices. Cover and leave to marinate overnight in the fridge.
• If you want to barbecue your chicken, get the coals burning 1 hr or so before you're ready to cook. Authentic jerked meats are not exactly grilled as we think of grilling, but sort of smoke-grilled. To get a more authentic jerk experience, add some wood chips to your barbecue, and cook your chicken over slow, indirect heat for 30 mins.
• To cook in the oven, heat to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Put the chicken pieces in a roasting tin with the halved lime and cook for 45 mins until tender and cooked through.
• While the chicken is cooking, prepare the rice & peas. Rinse the basmati rice in plenty of cold water, then tip it into a large saucepan. Add the coconut milk, spring onions, thyme sprigs, garlic and ground allspice.
• Season with salt, add 300ml cold water and set over a high heat. Once the rice begins to boil, turn it down to a medium heat, cover and cook for 10 mins. Add the kidney beans to the rice, then cover with a lid. Leave off the heat for 5 mins until all the liquid is absorbed.
• Squeeze the roasted lime over the chicken and serve with the rice & peas, and some hot sauce if you like it really spicy.

PERFECT BAKED JERK CHICKEN

Steps:

• Make the jerk rub by combining the salt, allspice, brown sugar, onion powder, garlic, nutmeg, pepper, ginger, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, and thyme. Toss the chicken pieces with the spice mixture, then cover, and marinate in the refrigerator 2 to 4 hours.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Pour the vegetable oil into a 9x13 inch baking dish.
• Place the chicken pieces skin-side up into the baking dish. Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour 20 minutes, until no longer pink near the bone. Turn the oven on to broil, and cook until the skin crisps, 2 to 5 minutes.

JERK CHICKEN

Steps:

• At least 1 day before cooking, pat chicken dry with paper towels. Combine remaining ingredients in a blender or food processor and grind to a coarse paste. Slather all over chicken, including under skin. Refrigerate 12 to 36 hours. Bring to room temperature before cooking and lightly sprinkle with more salt and ground allspice.
• Prepare a charcoal grill: Clean and oil grates, and preheat to medium heat using one chimney of charcoal. The temperature can start as high as 300 degrees and go as low as 250. For best results, coals should be at least 12 inches away from chicken. If necessary, push coals to one side of grill to create indirect heat. Add two large handfuls of soaked pimento (allspice) wood sticks and chips (see note) or other aromatic wood chips to coals, then close grill. When thick white smoke billows from grill, place chicken on grate, skin side up, and cover. Let cook undisturbed for 30 to 35 minutes.
• Uncover grill. Chicken will be golden and mahogany in places. Chicken thighs may already be cooked through. For other cuts, turn chicken over and add more wood chips, and charcoal if needed. Cover and continue cooking, checking and turning every 10 minutes. Jerk chicken is done when skin is burnished brown and chicken juices are completely clear, with no pink near the bone. For large pieces, this can take up to an hour. Serve hot or warm, with rice and beans.

ELLEN'S JERK CHICKEN

Steps:

• 1) Put the chicken in a large bowl. Add all the ingredients except the chicken to a food processor or blender. Save about 1 cup or so of the marinade and with the remaining mix with the chicken, cover and refrigerate for at least one day. 2) Preheat the grill at medium-high heat and the oven at 350 degrees. 3) Bring the chicken to room temperature before grilling. Grill the chicken for about 10 minutes, turning once. Put the remaining marinade in an oven proof 13x9-inch baking dish. Add the grilled chicken, toss with marinade and bake in the oven for 30 minutes. (more or less time depending on the size of your chicken breasts) 4) Serve the chicken warm with the remaining sauce.

JERK CHICKEN

Steps:

• In a food processor, combine all of the ingredients up through the oil; process to a paste.
• Put the chicken in a bowl, pour the marinade over and coat the chicken.
• Cover and refrigerate overnight.
• Light a grill.
• Remove chicken pieces from the marinade, leaving on a coating of spice paste.
• Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper.
• Grill the chicken oever moderately high heat, turning often, until the skin is nicely charred and the chicken is cooked through, about 30 minutes.
• Transfer to a platter and serve.

MISS OLLIE'S JERK CHICKEN

Steps:

• Blend chives, chiles, garlic, vinegar, soy sauce, rum, salt, allspice, nutmeg, and cloves in a blender until smooth. Place chicken in a large bowl and pour jerk marinade over. Turn thighs and drumsticks several times to coat. Cover and chill, turning chicken pieces once, at least 2 hours and up to 1 day.
• Remove chicken from marinade, wiping off any excess, and let come to room temperature, about 30 minutes. Discard marinade.
• Prepare grill for 2-zone heat (for a charcoal grill, bank two-thirds of coals on one half of grill and scatter remaining coals over other side; for a gas grill, set one burner to high heat and the remaining burners to medium-low heat). Lightly brush grate with oil. Arrange chicken drumsticks and thighs, skin side down, on grate over hottest part of grill and grill, turning halfway through, until lightly charred, 5-10 minutes. Move chicken to cooler part of grill and continue to grill, turning several times, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 165°F, 20-25 minutes longer.
• Transfer chicken to a platter and let rest 10 minutes before serving.

ELLEN'S JERK CHICKEN

Steps:

• 1) Put the chicken in a large bowl. Add all the ingredients except the chicken to a food processor or blender. Process the mixture, save some for basting and pour the rest over the chicken. Mix together well (under skin, etc.) and cover and refrigerate for at least 24 hours. 2) Preheat the grill at medium-high heat and the oven at 350 degrees. 3) Bring the chicken to room temperature before grilling. Grill the chicken for 10 minutes, turning once. Put the remaining marinade in a oven proof 13x9-inch baking dish. Add the grilled chicken to the marinade and bake in the oven for 30 minutes. (More or less time depending on the size of the chicken breasts). Serve the chicken warm with remaining sauce.