Mains

Jerk Chicken

Grilled Jerk Chicken perfect combo of sweet, spicy, and charred business. The backbone is the allspice, along with everything else Jamaican. The heat is from the habanero.

There are two ways to make jerk sauce, a paste or a marinade. This is a marinade, and can be used for anything you want to spice up. There is a little bit of everything in here, resulting in a lot of complexity. Trust me, it’s worth it.

Ramp up the habanero and jalapeno as needed. With one, it’s not very hot. With five, you need to be brave. The choice is yours. I suggest starting slow, tasting, and adding more as you go. Keep in mind the results will be a bit less spicy the direct tasting.

Marinades ~3 lb of chicken.


Mise en Place
SPICES STAPLES
1 tsp coriander, toasted and ground 2 tbs hot sauce (texas pete)
1 tsp cumin, toasted and ground 1 tbs honey
1 bay leaf 1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp ginger, ground 1 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp cinnamon, ground 1/2 cup water
1 tsp black pepper, ground 1/2 cup dry stout
1/4 tsp nutmeg, microplaned 1/2 cup olive oil
1 tbs ground allspice 1/2 cup soy sauce
PRODUCE MEATS
1 habanero seeded and minced 2 chicken breasts, boneless skinless
1 jalapeno seeded and minced 4 chicken thighs, boneless skinless
1 sprig fresh rosemary, leaves only, minced
1 tbs fresh thyme, leaves only
1/4 cup scallions, sliced thin
1/4 cup red onion, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced

Equipment
1 bowl
1 small container
plastic wrap
1 stick blender
1 grill, medium high
1 instant read thermometer
1 pastry brush

Directions
Step Action
1 combine everything except bay leaf and chicken into bowl
2 briefly blend together with stick blender to make marinade
3 add bay leaf
4 reserve 1/2 cup marinade and set aside
5 butcher chicken, cut off tenders from breasts and keep, remove excess fat and discard
6 add chicken breasts, tenders, and thighs to marinade, stir to coat chicken
7 cover with plastic wrap and stash in fridge 6-48 hours
8 grill chicken, moving and turning often to maximize browning
9 different pieces will finish at different times, use a thermometer. When a piece is ready, evac and brush reserved marinade on top
10 serve immediately

Categories: Mains

Tagged as: ,

Leave a Reply