Poultry and Game Recipes - Jamaican Jerked Chicken Recipe

  
 

Poultry and Game Recipes - Jamaican Jerked Chicken Recipe

Ingredients

Serve 6

  • 25g/1 oz allspice berries

  • 5cm/2 inch cinnamon stick

  • 1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

  • 1 fresh red chili, deseeded and finely chopped

  • 4 spring onions, thinly sliced

  • 1 bay leaf, crumbled

  • 1 tablespoon dark rum

  • 6 chicken joints

  • salt and pepper

  • boiled rice, to serve

Pineapple chutney:

  • 2 fresh pineapples, peeled and chopped

  • 2.5 cm/1 inch piece of fresh root ginger, finely chopped

  • 1 onion, finely chopped

  • 1 fresh red chili, deseeded and finely chopped

  • 125 ml/4 fl oz vinegar

  • 250 g/8 oz dark brown sugar

Method:

  1. First, make the jerked seasoning. Pound the allspice berries, cinnamon and nutmeg in a mortar or grind them to a powder in an electric grinder.

  2. Add the chili, spring onions, bay leaf and salt and pepper to the mortar and continue pounding to a thick paste. Stir the rum into the paste and mix well.

  3. Slash the chicken deeply on the skin side 2 or 3 times and rub the jerked seasoning paste all over the chicken pieces. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours.

  4. Meanwhile, make the pineapple chutney. Put all the ingredients in a saucepan and stir well. Place over a moderate heat and stir until the sugar has completely dissolved.

  5. Bring to the boil and then reduce the heat a little. Cook vigorously, stirring occasionally, until the chutney thickens.

  6. Pour the chutney into sterilized glass jars and seal. If wished, it can be made in advance and kept for 2-3 weeks in the refrigerator.

  7. Roast the jerked chicken in a preheated oven, 200°C (400°F), Gas Mark 6, for 20-30 minutes, or cook under a hot grill. Serve with the pineapple chutney and plain boiled rice.