Jerk Chicken

Jerk chicken is not a dish I have cooked before but since I do like food with heat and spice, it seemed like a great idea when I came across a recipe for it in a Men’s Health magazine.

I love the depth of flavour and well-rounded heat this jerk marinade provides. It is definitely hot but not tear jerking hot. Instead, it coats your taste buds with a warm, full-bodied heat that allows you to also taste the nutmeg and other spices. I served it with whole wheat couscous with black beans and grilled pineapple. Just in case the heat was too much for some, I also added raw pepper slices and tzatziki on the side.

Adapted from a Men’s Health recipe.

Ingredients

6 half-breasts of chicken (or 3 full breasts cut in half)

Jerk Marinade
10 green onions, roughly chopped
4 habaneras, roughly chopped
5 cloves garlic
½ cup vinegar
3-1/2 tbsp kosher salt
¼ cup vegetable oil
4 tsp allspice
4 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp nutmeg
1 tbsp dried thyme
1 tbsp freshly grated ginger root
1 tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp ground pepper


What to Do:
Throw everything but the chicken into a blender and puree until smooth. You will have made about two cups of jerk mix. If making less than half a dozen chicken breast, pour 1 cup of it into a container and refrigerate or freeze for future use.

Place chicken into a zip-loc bag. Pour one cup of sauce over chicken. Close bag and squish mixture around chicken until well coated. Place in fridge overnight or for 12 hours.

When ready to cook, preheat grill to med high heat. Grill breasts until cooked and when pierced all juices run clear. It will take approximately 15 minutes but use a meat thermometer to ensure proper cooked temperature. Do not overcook though or chicken will be tough.


Remove from grill, cover with foil and let sit for 5 minutes.


Serve.