Jerk chicken

By: Claire Thomson
From: The Art Of The Larder
Photographer: Mike Lusmore

Proper jerk chicken is barbecued long and slow, starting off over a high heat and moving out along the barbecue to cook at a lower heat until soft and tender. This takes some skill, and not least a really efficient barbecue. This method first cooks the marinated chicken in the oven and uses a hot pan to sear and colour the cooked meat. Eat with rice and peas (cooked kidney or pinto beans mixed through cooked rice).

Ingredients

Quantity	Ingredient
1 teaspoon	ground allspice
1 teaspoon	black peppercorns, roughly cracked
1/2 teaspoon	ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon	freshly grated nutmeg
a small bunch	fresh thyme, leaves roughly chopped
2	fresh bay leaves
1/2 a bunch	spring onions, trimmed and chopped
2	scotch bonnet chillies, finely chopped, (take a lot of care when handling these – rubber gloves are helpful, and removing the seeds will reduce some of their heat)
1 tablespoon	dark brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon	salt
2 tablespoons	dark soy sauce
1	lime, juiced
4	large chicken legs, skin on and slashed with a knife to the bone
	neutral oil, to sear the chicken

Method

Blend the spices in a food processor along with the thyme, bay leaves, spring onions, chillies, sugar, salt, soy sauce and lime juice.
Pour the marinade into a bowl and add the chicken, massaging it deep into the incisions in the meat. Try to get some of the marinade in under the skin too. Cover and leave to marinate in the fridge for at least 4 hours – overnight or throughout the day is best.
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Place the chicken legs skin side up on a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper, and cover them with foil. Cook the chicken for about 45 minutes to 1 hour, until cooked through.
Heat a griddle or frying pan on a high heat. Add a dash of neutral oil and the cooked chicken, and sear the meat on both sides until charred and crisp in places.
Remove from the heat and serve immediately

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