Jerk Style Chicken With Spiced Basmati Rice Pilaf And Green Beans Recipes

JERK-STYLE CHICKEN PILAF

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large flameproof casserole dish over a medium-high heat. Add the onion and a pinch of salt and fry for 5-6 mins. Add the chicken and fry for 7-8 mins more. Stir in the jerk seasoning, chilli, if using, and garlic, and cook for 1 min.
• Stir in the rice, beans and lime zest and juice. Cook until heated through. Scatter over the spring onions, coriander and serve with the extra lime wedges.

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.

GRILLED JERK-STYLE CHICKEN AND COCONUT RICE PILAF WITH PEAS

Steps:

• For the chicken: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Add the garlic, habanero, onion, five-spice, celery salt, cinnamon, ginger, thyme, nutmeg and 1 tablespoon black pepper to a food processor and pulse until combined and paste-like. Add the soy sauce, oil, vinegar and scallion whites and puree until well-mixed and smooth. Set aside.
• Arrange the chicken parts in a baking dish and pour half of the marinade over the top, brushing so that all pieces are coated. Set the remaining marinade aside. Marinate the chicken at room temperature for 15 minutes or refrigerate for up to 4 hours.
• Heat a cast-iron grill pan over medium-high heat. Place the chicken parts in the pan skin-side down and cook for 7 minutes per side. Place the chicken back in the baking dish and baste with the reserved marinade. Place in the oven and roast until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F, 15 to 20 minutes. Note that the baking time for the breast may be shorter than the leg. Remove from the baking dish as finished and let rest for a couple of minutes.
• For the rice: Coat the bottom of a small pot with the oil and sweat the sliced onions with a pinch of salt over high heat until browned. Add the rice and stir to coat. Add the chicken stock, coconut milk, thyme bundle and bay leaves. Stir and season to taste with salt. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer and stir in the peas. Cover and cook for 17 minutes. Turn off the heat then remove the bay leaves and thyme bundle. Fluff the rice and mix in the cilantro and scallion greens.
• Place a large scoop of rice in the center of each plate and arrange the chicken pieces on top.

TOMATO AND COCONUT CHICKEN OVER SPICED RICE PILAF

Steps:

• For the rice: Soak the rice in 4 cups of cold water for 30 minutes.
• For the chicken: Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Arrange the chicken on a baking sheet in a single layer. Season all sides of the chicken with salt. When the oil begins to smoke lightly, use a pair of metal tongs to carefully add the pieces, skin-side down, to the oil. Do not crowd the skillet. Lower the heat to medium and cook until the skin is browned, 5 to 8 minutes. Flip the chicken and brown the other side, another 5 to 8 minutes. Transfer the chicken pieces to a clean baking sheet and set aside.
• In the same skillet, add the garlic and onions. Add the red pepper flakes and some salt and cook, stirring frequently, until the garlic and onions turn light brown, 5 to 8 minutes. Add the coconut milk, tomatoes and bay leaves and bring to a simmer. Arrange the chicken pieces skin-side up in a single layer in the sauce. Pour any juices into the sauce as well. Lower the heat and simmer until the chicken is cooked through, 30 to 35 minutes. Discard the bay leaves. Taste for seasoning. Keep warm.
• To cook the rice: While the chicken is cooking, heat the oven to 250 degrees F.
• On a baking sheet, combine the cumin, fennel, cayenne and cinnamon stick. Lightly toast the spices in the oven, 1 to 2 minutes. Set aside.
• Heat a large Dutch oven over medium heat and add the butter and onion. Season with salt and cook until the onion is translucent but not browned, 5 to 8 minutes. Stir in the spices. Drain the rice, reserving the soaking water. Stir in the rice and cook until you hear it crackling, 1 to 2 minutes. Gently stir in the reserved water. Season with salt and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cover and cook until the water has been absorbed and the rice is fluffy, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow the rice to rest for 5 to 10 minutes before "forking" it gently onto plates. Spoon the chicken and sauce over the rice and serve.

SPICED BASMATI RICE PILAF

Steps:

• Prepare the rice: Soak the rice in 3 cups cold water for 30 minutes to remove the starch.
• Cook the rice: Heat a medium saute pan over medium heat and add butter, onions, and 2 tablespoons water. Cook until translucent but not browned, 5 to 8 minutes. To the pan add cardamom seeds, cayenne, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, cinnamon stick, and bay leaves. Stir, and toast until fragrant, 2 minutes. Then, add the rice plus soaking liquid to the pot. Add salt to taste. Bring to a simmer for about 5 minutes. Cover, turn off the heat, and let steam for another 10 minutes. Fluff the rice gently with a fork and serve.

EASY JERK CHICKEN WITH RICE & PEAS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Heat the oil in a roasting tin, then carefully add the chicken pieces. Brown them lightly on all sides - it will take about 6-8 mins. Pour over the jerk sauce, scatter over the sliced spring onions, then toss to coat each piece of chicken.
• Roast the chicken for 30 mins, turning occasionally to ensure it gets nice and sticky.
• While the chicken is cooking, make the rice & peas. Rinse the rice in a sieve until the water runs clear. Bring a pan of water to the boil with the liquid only from the kidney beans, the coconut milk, spring onions, thyme, garlic, allspice and some salt, then simmer for 10 mins. Add the beans, then simmer for 5 mins more until the rice is tender. Drain and serve straight away with the chicken.