Was bored with chicken the other day, so I decided to try something new. I’ve been to Jamaica and got a taste of their food, but never attempted to cook it for myself. So here we go, Jerk Chicken.

METHOD

1. Rinse the chicken and pat it dry, then place it in a shallow glass dish.
2. In a blender, toss the scallions, chiles, garlic, ginger, thyme, paprika, allspice,cinnamon, cloves, vinegar, soy sauce, and pepper. Process until smooth.
3. Pour the blended mixture over the chicken. Turn the chicken so that it is well coated in marinade. Marinate for up to 24 hours, the longer the marinade the stronger the flavour, but never exceed 24 hours. See my article on Marinating for more information.
4. While the chicken is marinating, in a small bowl, combine the yogurt, coriander, scallions and lime juice. Add salt to taste. refrigerate for at least an hour to allow flavors to meld.
5. Oil the grids, then preheat your grill to to medium-high.
6. Cook the chicken for about 30 minutes in total, turning so that it will brown on all sides. Baste liberally with remaining marinade until the chicken is about 5 minutes from being done. Discard any remaining marinade.
7. Serve immediately with dressing, rice and mixed vegetables.

This was spicy but good. The rice cooled it down and if you serve the chicken with the yogurt and lime dressing to dip, it’s real nice. If you want it spicier you can definitely add another scotch bonnet. The dressing is also quite pleasant on a green salad too.

Happy Grilling!