There are many foods in the world that instinctively link to a particular culture or region. Italy has pasta, France has baguettes, and England has fish and chips.
Photo: Jerk Shack at Sandals Dan’s River offers classic Jamaican cuisine with views.
When you think of Jamaica, jerk is probably the first food that comes to mind. You might think of it before a white sandy beach or an inclusive resort.
In this article on the sandals blog,
Spicy sweet tang unique flavor
Jamaican Style Jerk Chicken Recipe
Step 1: Dried Rab and Sauce Recipe
Step 2: Jerk marinade recipe
Step 3: Prepare the protein
Step 4: Bake & Grill
Jerk chicken alternative
Spicy sweet tang unique flavor
Whether it’s chicken or pork, when you taste jerk (Seafood too)ginger, scotch bonnet pepper, thyme and allspice are all served at once to give it a complex, delicious flavour.
The history of jerk is also fascinating, with the pit barbecue method commonly used for jerk, with the seasonings that come from Africa themselves, as well as the slaves brought to Jamaica and other parts of the Caribbean by the Spanish and the British.
Chicken is especially good for jerk. Chicken can be a blank canvas, and the jerk is undoubtedly unique enough to turn it into something exciting.
Jamaican Style Jerk Chicken Recipe
Chicken is easy to find anywhere, making this an easy dish to prepare. Ultimately, it looks much more difficult than it actually is. And you escape as an impressive chef for anyone new to jerk cooking.
By following some of the key steps, such as making a great marinade, developing the flavor over time and cooking it perfectly, you’re heading straight away for a multipurpose, delicious and easy jerk chicken experience.
Step 1: Jerk Dried Love and Hellfire Sauce Recipe
Jerkshack
Photo credit: nalidsa/shutterstock.com
material
2 tablespoons ground allspice
1 tablespoon of onion powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon ginger powder
method
Mix all the ingredients and rub well on the protein before marinating
Hellfire sauce
material
5 Scotch Bonnet Pepper
2 teaspoons of white vinegar
I prepared 1 teaspoon of mustard
1 teaspoon fresh chopped inger
One large onion, chopped
Two-stem leek
1 clove fresh garlic
½ tsp all spice
1 piece of fresh thyme, chopped
1 small carrot, chopped
2 tablespoons of vegetable oil
2 cups of water
Salt in taste
method
Put all ingredients except oil and water in a blender and add vegetable oil and water as needed to blend in with smooth consistency and adjust consistency. For best results, leave for 1-2 hours before using to fuse the flavors.
Pro tips: When working with dried spices, make a spice mixture in bulk. This saves you work to grill chicken and when you make it again in the future.
Step 2: Jerk marinade recipe
Jerkshack
Photo credit: yackers1/shutterstock.com
Serve 4. Make 1¼ cup
material
1 tablespoon stem and finely chopped scotch bonnet pepper (approx. 1 pepper)
Two tablespoons of fresh thyme were stalked
1 tablespoon fresh ground allspice (not too fine)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh inger
¾ Cup finely chopped onion
1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
1½ cup of finely chopped green onions (using white and green parts)
1/2 tsp fresh black pepper
¼ cup soy sauce
¾ Cup vegetable oil
method
Place all ingredients in a food processor except for soy sauce and oil.
After finely chopped or pureed, mix in a bowl and add soy sauce and oil.
Store in a glass jar or clay pot.
Step 3: Prepare the protein
You can buy the whole chicken and slaughter it, or have it be used as a meat counter and have the whole chicken cut out already. Pour half of the marinade in a reimagined bag or shallow pot. Massage it so that all the pieces are covered and repeat with the remaining marinade. Place in a sealed or covered fridge and leave overnight.
Seafood method (Fish, lobster, shrimp)
I only leave fish and seafood in the marinade for an hour. Do not overly marinate. Otherwise, the fibers in fish and seafood will break down and will have a mushy consistency when cooked.
Remove from the marinade and grill at high temperature until cooked.
Step 4: Bake & Grill
Photo credit: Davidvy/Shutterstock.com
When ready to cook, pull out the chicken and preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. You want to start the cooking process rather than roasting it – that’s the purpose of the grill.
Place the chicken in the pan. Choose a pot that is large enough to not overlap the chicken.
Grill the chicken for 30 minutes, prepare the grill and make sure the chicken is hot enough to cook well. Remove the chicken from the oven, sprinkle a little more with the spice mixture you’ve made and polish it with olive oil.
Chef’s notes: Many jerk flavors come from the smoke of pimento wood. For the most authentic jerk flavors without pimento wood, soak the entire 1/4 cup in water for at least an hour (preferably overnight). Just before cooking, sprinkle with coal or flames on the grill, then close the lid to lock in the smoky flavor.
Grill for 5-10 minutes, make sure it’s not burning, then flip it over and repeat. The key is to squeeze the chicken with lime juice, cover it loosely with foil, and not touch it for at least 10 minutes.
Then you can cool it down and dig it in!
Jerk chicken is great in its own right as a main course, but there’s more you can do
You can shred it and place it on top of baked sweet potatoes with salsa and avocado for a sweet, tangy main dish, or make sandwiches or wraps.
A creative way to use it is to take pizza crust or naan, use a small jerk sauce (basically thickened marinade) as a base, top with jerk chicken, cheese and fajita vegetables and then bake. Next, add the avocado and finish it off.
There are many things you can do with jerk chicken. It is not limited to traditional dishes. If you’re creative in cooking, the possibilities are truly endless.
Read also about more Jamaican-style dishes: 44 Attractive foods and drinks you should try when you’re in Jamaica.
