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

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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.