Girls Weekend Spiced Rum Jerk Chicken Recipes

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.

GIRLS WEEKEND SPICED RUM JERK CHICKEN

Steps:

• 1. Mix up all dry ingredients up first separately in a bowl mix well, then mix up jerk paste in a separate bowl then add dry ingredients to jerk paste and put into small food processor and blend well.
• 2. Place the chicken in a shallow container and massage the marinade paste into the chicken well, then cover and let marinade in the refrigerator for six hours or two days is better.
• 3. Oil BQ grill with oil or a spray, then set BQ on high and after reaching a least 400F, place chicken on a pre oiled grate for 10 min.
• 4. Then set the grill at lowest possible setting and flip the chicken and grill until fully cooked about 30 min for legs and thighs and breast about 10 to 15 min depending on thickness. **DO NOT OVER COOK BREAST AS MEAT WILL BE DRY. Better to under cook and reheat.
• 5. *****TIPS***** I like to make the jerk chicken marinade ahead of time and let it set in fridge to get the spices rolling with flavor... oh my..... this will store nice in the frig for some time...so make extra if you like it and have it on hand. I use a sharp stainless needle blades kitchen tool for tenderizing he chicken breast before I marinade.... Sold on amazon. Great served over a salad or with Jamaican rice, Jerri made BQ fried pineapple, and we served the jerk chicken on top. Also great on a Caesar salad or a Caesar Salad jerk chicken wrap. ****make enough as this is a food pleaser for a crowd. photo coming soon, I always forget to take a photo.

JAMAICAN JERK CHICKEN

Steps:

• Whizz all the ingredients for the marinade in a blender to form a thick paste. It shouldn't be too runny, similar to the consistency of sweet chilli sauce. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three weeks.
• Slit the chicken skin with a sharp knife, then put into a container. Pour over the jerk marinade, making sure the chicken is completely covered. You may not need all the marinade. Cover the chicken and place in the fridge for at least 4 hrs, but ideally 24 hrs.
• Heat the oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Put the chicken in an ovenproof dish, cover with foil and cook for 30-45 mins. Remove the foil and baste the chicken with the juices from the dish, then cook for a further 10 mins. The skin should start to crisp up. Check the meat is cooked by cutting into the deepest part of the chicken. If the juices run out red, return to the oven for 10 mins more, or until the juices run clear. Serve with rice & peas or any of your favourite side dishes.

GRILLED JERK-SPICED CHICKEN WINGS WITH MANGO SAUCE

Steps:

• Prepare a grill for high indirect heat (for a charcoal grill, bank coals on one side of grill; for a gas grill, leave one or two burners off).
• For the wings: Add the paprika, cayenne, allspice, nutmeg, garlic powder, cloves, ginger, minced garlic, thyme, salt and pepper to a small bowl and stir to combine. Reserve 1 tablespoon of the spice mixture for the mango sauce.
• Put the chicken wings in a large bowl with the remaining spice mixture. Toss to evenly coat. Reserve the wings while you make the sauce.
• For the mango-cilantro sauce: Put the orange juice, mango jam, 1 tablespoon reserved spice mixture, honey, cilantro, orange zest, scallions and Scotch bonnet in a blender. Blend until smooth. Pour into a bowl and reserve at room temperature while you grill the wings.
• Place the chicken wings on the grill over the indirect heat zone. Cover and grill for 5 minutes. Flip the wings and continue to cook for an additional 5 minutes. Move the wings directly over the heat and cook until nicely charred and cooked through, about 5 minutes.
• Remove the wings from the grill and toss with the reserved sauce. Pile onto a platter and garnish with chopped cilantro.

JAMAICAN RUM CHICKEN

Steps:

• Combine all ingredients in small bowl. Place chicken in food storage bag. Pour marinade over chicken. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight, turning bag once or twice.
• Spray grill with cooking spray. Grill chicken until no longer pink.