Lynns Favorite Jerk Chicken Recipes

HOMESTYLE JERK CHICKEN

Steps:

• I should start this by saying my home version of Jerk Chicken is different from the street-food, hot and crisp, that I've eaten in Jamaica straight out of what looks like a metal barrel on its side. Well, it would be different, wouldn't it? It's not that I haven't tried to replicate the recipe, using whole quarters of chicken, with the bone still in and the skin still on, but it hasn't felt right. A domestic oven just doesn't get hot enough, and so although the spiced chili crust gets gratifyingly crisp, the skin doesn't - it can't - and flabby skin is just not to be countenanced. Thus, although the vinegary, limey, rum and spiced marinade makes the meat lusciously tender, you have to jettison its outer casing entirely. This seems too much of a waste to me.
• Now, you will rarely find me suggesting breast meat, let alone a breast fillet, so you have to believe me when I say that the heat of the marinade, and the meat's edible carapace work best when offset against the meltingly tender white meat within. And, in turn, I must say that I have never managed to make, or find, white meat that turns out so luscious and succulent. It's a miracle all round. I'm stunned, but grateful. I have nothing to add, save the suggestion that you could consider working the same magic with some lean pork tenderloin as well.
• Don't cook this, though, unless you like it hot. And I mean hot. There's no point choosing to cook this and then trying to find a way to tame it, say by taking out the seeds from the chili (though you could if you must). Besides, although it packs a major punch, the sweet, creamy, coconutty rice that just must be served with it, offers the perfect counterbalancing salve.
• Slash the chicken breasts, 3 slashes a breast, each cut about 3/4-inch deep on the diagonal. Put in a rectangular dish, slashed-side down. Put all the other ingredients in the processor and blitz to a dark, earthy paste and pour and spread over the chicken pieces and leave to marinate out of the refrigerator for 2 to 4 hours or in the refrigerator, (covered), overnight.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Double-line a shallow roasting pan with aluminium foil. Tip into it the chicken with its marinade, slashed side up and roast for 30 minutes.
• Take the pan out of the oven, just to pour off excess watery juices. Use a pastry brush and spoon to place any paste back on the chicken and cook for a further 30 minutes, by which time the chicken will be cooked through and tender with a thick fiery crust. You could get started on the Rice and Peas once the chicken's back in the oven for its final stint.
• For serving: Pile up each dinner plate with coconutty rice and sit a piece of hot-crusted chicken proudly on top.
• Make Ahead Note: Jerk paste can be made 1 day ahead. Transfer to non-metallic bowl and press a piece of plastic wrap onto the surface. Cover bowl tightly with second layer of plastic wrap and refrigerate. The chicken can be marinated up to 24 hours in advance. Cover dish tightly with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator.
• Freeze Note: The chicken in its marinade can be frozen, in a resealable bag, for up to 1 month. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator - put the bag in a bowl to catch any leaks.
• Making leftovers right: Should you have leftovers - and don't count on it if you're 6 round the table - refrigerate as soon as cooled and within 1 to 2 days you can simply snip some chicken into the rice and reheat until piping hot. However, I love this in a new form: a thick, coconutty soup punctured by fiery bursts of tender meat. Add some coconut milk and chicken broth to the leftover rice, along with some freshly grated gingerroot and a spritz of lime juice, and heat up, adding the chicken, cut into small strips or small chunks, once it starts bubbling. When the meat's piping hot, season to taste then pour your soup into a bowl (or bowls) and scatter with freshly chopped cilantro and slurp gratefully.
• Drain and rinse the gungo peas, and heat the oil in a heavy based saucepan that has a lid. Fry the onion for about 5 minutes, stirring every now and again, letting it soften and brown a little. Then add the chopped chile and garlic, and give everything a good stir around. Now stir in the rice, making sure it is all slicked with oil, then pour in the coconut milk and chicken or vegetable broth and stir in the drained gungo peas. Bring to a bubble, clamp on the lid, and turn down the heat to very low and let it cook gently for 15 minutes.
• Check the rice is cooked through and the liquid is all absorbed - give the rice another 5 minutes if it needs it. Sprinkle with the freshly chopped thyme and season with salt if desired, forking it through.

MISS OLLIE'S JERK CHICKEN

Steps:

• Blend chives, chiles, garlic, vinegar, soy sauce, rum, salt, allspice, nutmeg, and cloves in a blender until smooth. Place chicken in a large bowl and pour jerk marinade over. Turn thighs and drumsticks several times to coat. Cover and chill, turning chicken pieces once, at least 2 hours and up to 1 day.
• Remove chicken from marinade, wiping off any excess, and let come to room temperature, about 30 minutes. Discard marinade.
• Prepare grill for 2-zone heat (for a charcoal grill, bank two-thirds of coals on one half of grill and scatter remaining coals over other side; for a gas grill, set one burner to high heat and the remaining burners to medium-low heat). Lightly brush grate with oil. Arrange chicken drumsticks and thighs, skin side down, on grate over hottest part of grill and grill, turning halfway through, until lightly charred, 5-10 minutes. Move chicken to cooler part of grill and continue to grill, turning several times, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 165°F, 20-25 minutes longer.
• Transfer chicken to a platter and let rest 10 minutes before serving.

LYNN'S FAVORITE JERK CHICKEN

Steps:

• Mix all ingredients, except chicken, in a medium bowl.
• Cut each chicken breast into 4-6 long pcs.
• Add marinade to chicken breasts.
• Marinate at least 4 hours or overnight.
• Can be grilled on barbecue or in broiler.
• Cook just until done, do not overcook. This will dry out if overcooked.

JERK CHICKEN

Steps:

• Make the brine: Combine 2 tablespoons salt, the granulated sugar, allspice, chile pepper, garlic, ginger and 1 quart water in a large pot and stir to combine. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook until the salt and sugar have dissolved, about 5 minutes.
• Pour the brine over about 1/2 cup ice in a large bowl and let cool to room temperature. Add the chicken to the brine, cover and refrigerate for 24 hours.
• Make the jerk paste marinade: Stir together the soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, tamarind paste, scallions, thyme, garlic, ginger, allspice, brown sugar, cinnamon, cloves, bay leaf and chile pepper in a medium bowl; season with a pinch of salt. Set aside 5 tablespoons of the marinade to use for the barbecue sauce.
• Remove the chicken from the brine; discard the brine. Pat the chicken dry, then toss to coat with the remaining jerk paste marinade, slightly massaging it into the chicken. Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours.
• Make the jerk barbecue sauce: Heat the canola oil in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat until shimmering. Add the onion, garlic, ginger and the reserved 5 tablespoons jerk paste marinade; simmer until the onion is translucent, 5 to 8 minutes. Add the ketchup and brown sugar and simmer over low heat until the sauce is deep red and caramelized, about 30 minutes. Remove from the heat and transfer to a blender. Blend until smooth.
• Cook the chicken: Preheat the oven to 325˚ F. Heat a well-seasoned cast-iron grill pan over medium heat until very hot, about 10 minutes, then add some oil to the pan. Working in batches, remove the chicken from the marinade (reserve the marinade), place the chicken on the grill pan skin-side down and cook until well charred, flipping halfway through, about 10 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a rimmed baking sheet and drizzle with the reserved marinade. Repeat to cook the remaining chicken. Transfer the baking sheet to the oven and bake until the chicken is tender but not falling off the bone, about 45 minutes. Turn the broiler on for the last minute and broil until the skin crisps.
• Remove the chicken from the oven, brush with some of the barbecue sauce and let rest 10 to 15 minutes. Serve with the remaining sauce on the side.

FAUX JERK CHICKEN

Steps:

• In a large dish, mix the olive oil, vinegar, lime juice, sugar, thyme, allspice, cinnamon, salt, and cayenne pepper. Stir in the scotch bonnet pepper, green onions, and garlic. Pierce chicken on all sides with a fork, and place in the dish. Cover, and marinate up to 24 hours in the refrigerator, turning occasionally.
• Preheat the grill for high heat.
• Lightly oil grill grate. Discard marinade, and grill chicken 8 minutes on each side, or until juices run clear.

LISA'S JERK CHICKEN

Steps:

• Pour orange juice, vinegar, olive oil, soy sauce, and lime juice into a blender; add onions, Scotch bonnet chiles, garlic, sugar, thyme, allspice, salt, black pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, and ginger. Pulse several times to mix ingredients, then blend until jerk marinade is pureed.
• Set 1/2 cup marinade aside in a small bowl and refrigerate. Place chicken breasts into a large nonreactive bowl and pour remaining jerk sauce over chicken; stir to coat. Refrigerate chicken in marinade 8 hours to overnight.
• Preheat grill for medium-low heat and lightly oil the grate.
• Remove chicken from marinade, discarding used marinade. Cook chicken on the preheated grill until meat is no longer pink inside, the skin is browned, and an instant-read meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a breast, not touching bone, reads at least 160 degrees F (70 degrees C), about 30 minutes. Baste chicken with reserved 1/2 cup of marinade as it cooks, turning chicken occasionally.