Aug 10, 2008
Here's a series of recipes that consitute a superb Jamaican-style
summer meal.
Jamaican Jerk Chicken Thighs
I had the pleasure of visiting the north coast of
Jamaica in 2007 and got to taste some fantastic cooking in Montego
Bay and Ocho Rios, including the spicy, smoky jerk chicken that’s
as close to the taste of the original barbacoa as you can get. Jerk Centres
are everywhere, and each one has its own distinctive style. The
common flavours are extreme chili heat and intense smoke – the heat
derived from the infamously fiery habanero or scotch bonnet chili
and the smoke coming from pimento wood, which has a sharp,
mesquite-like aroma. The pimento tree berry is known outside of
Jamaica as allspice, which is another of the key flavours of any
jerk seasoning.
I’m using skinless chicken thighs here because the slow cooking
technique tends to make chicken skin rubbery. If you leave the skin
on, finish the dish by crisping the skin side of the chicken pieces
over medium direct heat.
Note: The habaneros make this quite hot. If you want a milder jerk,
substitute jalapenos or serranos. In any case, wear vinyl gloves
when you’re handling them and watch not to get any in your
eyes!
For the marinade:
2 medium onions, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 cups green onion, trimmed and coarsely chopped
1 1/2 Tbsp|22.5 mL fresh thyme leaves or 1 tsp dried
1 or 2 habanero chilis, chopped
2 tsp|10 mL whole Jamaican allspice, lightly toasted in a dry
frying pan and then finely ground (or pre-ground allspice if you
don’t want to fuss)
1/2 tsp|2 mL ground cinnamon
1 tsp|5 mL freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp|5 mL freshly grated nutmeg
2 tsp|10 mL sugar
1 tsp|5 mL kosher salt
3 Tbsp|45 mL neutral flavored cooking oil like canola or corn
oil
2 Tbsp|30 mL cider vinegar
1 tsp|5 mL of browning (liquid caramel – if you don’t have any, use
1 Tbsp|15 mL dark soy sauce or liquid gravy seasoning like Kitchen
Bouquet or Bovril
a splash of Appleton Estate dark rum
4 lb|1.8 kg skinless chicken thighs (or one chicken cut into
parts)
Combine all the marinade ingredients in a blender or food processor
and blend thoroughly. Reserve about 1/3 of the mixture and set
aside.
Put the chicken in a lasagna pan or large baking dish and pour one
cup|250 mL of the marinade over the chicken. Move the chicken
pieces around so they are covered completely. Cover with plastic
wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 or 4 hours or overnight,
turning once or twice to make sure the pieces stay coated
evenly.
Prepare your smoker for barbecuing, bringing the temperature to
200–220˚F/95–100˚C. Just before you’re ready to put the chicken on,
toss one chunk of mesquite (or pimento wood if you can get it) on
the coals. Place the chicken pieces on the cooking grate and smoke
for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, basting regularly with the remaining
marinade, until the temperature at the thickest part of the biggest
piece reads 160˚F|71˚C. (At this point, if you’re using chicken
with skin on, you can crisp it up on a medium grill.) Remove from
the cooker and let rest, lightly tented in foil, for five minutes.
Serve with Coconut Beans and Rice and Jamaican Cole Slaw (see
recipes below).
Alternative grilling method: If you want to cook the
chicken on a gas or charcoal grill, prepare the grill for indirect
low-medium heat (about 250˚F|120˚C) and cook as above, using
mesquite as a flavoring agent if you like. At the end of the
cooking time, raise the temperature of the grill to medium and
crisp up the chicken pieces for a few minutes over direct
heat.
Jamaican-style Dry Jerk Seasoning
Classic jerk is made with a wet marinade and takes time
to prep and more time to marinate your meat. This rub gives
chicken, pork or snapper – or whatever else you’re grilling – a
classic Jamaican flavor without any fuss.
2 Tbsp|30 mL granulated onion
2 Tbsp|30 mL dried onion flakes (get flakes that aren’t too
big)
1 Tbsp|15 mL ground dried thyme
1 Tbsp|15 mL kosher salt
2 tsp|10 mL ground allspice
1/2 tsp|5 mL freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 tsp|5 mL ground cinnamon
1 Tbsp|15 mL sugar
2 tsp|10 mL freshly ground black pepper
2 tsp|10 mL cayenne or chipotle powder
1 1/2 Tbsp|22.5 mL dried chives
Note: Double or quadruple this recipe so you have some on hand.
It’s super easy to make a great jerk marinade simply by whizzing
1/2 cup|125 mL of this rub in a food processor with a splash of
cooking oil, a chopped habanero, a chopped onion and some chopped
scallions.
Jamaican Cole Slaw
This recipe, adapted slightly from the excellent Jerk From Jamaica
cookbook by Helen Willinsky (I’ve added raisins), is a superb side.
If you want to serve it with something other than jerk, substitute
your favorite rub for the Dry Jerk Seasoning.
4 cups|1 L shredded purple cabbage
3/4 cup|185 mL grated carrots
1/4 lb|125 g golden raisins
1/2 cup chopped toasted nuts (pecans, walnuts, pistachios almonds
or anything else you like)
1/2 cup|125 mL mayonnaise
1 Tbsp|15 mL cider vinegar
1 Tbsp|15 mL Jamaican-Style Dry Jerk Seasoning
Combine all the ingredients in a salad bowl and toss. Cover and
chill for at least an hour and toss again just before serving.
Jamaican Rice and Beans
In Jamaica this dish is a staple. Jamaicans call it rice and peas,
but it often features red kidney beans so I’ve renamed it to avoid
confusion. The creamy, sweet richness of the coconut milk helps
make this dish a perfect complement to jerk chicken or any spicy
grilled meat.
2 14-oz/398-mL cans red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 14-oz/398-mL can coconut milk
2 thick slices double-smoked bacon, chopped
1 green onion, chopped
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 habanero chile (whole – do not chop)
2 cups|500 mL long grain white rice
2 cups boiling water
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
In a frying pan, sauté the chopped bacon until it’s starting to
brown but is not yet crispy. Drain off the excess fat and set the
bacon aside.
In a large saucepan combine the beans, coconut milk, bacon, green
onion, thyme and the habanero. Cook over medium-high heat just
until the mixture comes to a simmer. Add the hot water and stir in
the rice. Cover tightly, reduce the heat to low and cook without
disturbing for about 25 minutes, until the liquid has been absorbed
and the rice is tender. Fluff before serving and don’t forget to
remove the habanero so it doesn’t surprise anyone!