Indeed, making “jerk” in the oven cannot compare to the results obtained on an outdoor grill, mainly if pimento wood is available. But it’s winter in Canada, and the temperature was -5 degrees Celsius when I made this jerk Cornish chicken. In a normal year, I would have braved this temperature to go outside with my smoker and try this recipe, but I’m old and my Caribbean bones can’t handle the cold. I couldn’t.
What you need…
2 Cornish chickens
2-3 tablespoons Jamaican jerk marinade
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 lime or lemon
2 green onions (Roughly chopped)
6 bottles of thyme
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
3/4 tablespoon grated ginger
Optional – I used 1 1/2 tablespoons of Bone Suction Massage.
Note! For more information on the recipe, follow the video below. I used a spicy Jamaican jerk marinade so no additional heat was needed. However, if you prefer spicy jerk, you can add a little Scotch Bonnet Pepper or Scotch Bonnet Pepper Sauce.
While you’re preheating the oven to 375°F, toss in some jar rub. Add jerk marinade. (I used a commercially available marinade)oil, lime juice, ginger, soy sauce, and ginger in a bowl. Whisk together.
Trim excess fat and skin from Cornish chicken. (Wash it the same way you wash meat) Brush the marinade onto the chicken, including the cavity. Place the thyme and green onions into the chicken cavity.
Tie the legs together and tuck the wings underneath as shown in the video. Dust off with a bone suction massage or your favorite dry massage.
For best results, seasoned Cornish chicken should be marinated for at least 2 hours. I didn’t.
Spray a baking tray with cooking spray or line it with foil to make cleanup easier. Do you recommend placing the chicken on a rack to ensure it roasts evenly?
Roast uncovered for the first 15 minutes, then cover loosely with foil until 50 minutes are up. Then remove the foil and roast for another 5-10 minutes. Note that the marinade contains sugar, which can easily burn your Cornish hens, so you’ll need to keep an eye on it during the last 5 minutes.
I found that the jerk marinade, soy sauce, and rub I used contained sodium elements, so I know I didn’t add any salt to the recipe.
