The Caribbean Island nation of Jamaica renowned for its lush topography, majestic beaches and wildlife, has a delicious cuisine to watch out for as well. The seafood fare is indeed a dream, but besides that Jamaica is also popular for the iconic Jerk chicken. The same fiery grilled chicken that makes you clench onto your glass of water tighter than anything else, and yet you go in for the next bite anyway because it is simply so irresistible.
For the unversed, Jerk is a Caribbean-style of cooking where they marinate the meat in a wet and spicy mixture called Jamaican Jerk spice, post which they grill the meat until it is perfectly cooked. It sounds very simple on paper, but getting the ideal Jamaican Jerk Spice is no mean feat. Jerk seasoning is traded across the globe today. If you are making it from scratch at home, you need to be very precise with the ingredients. Did you know the hot chicken preparation also makes use of sweetening agents like brown sugar and cinnamon? It is said a touch of sweet further accentuates the flavour of this blazing dish.
Chef Richie from Ms. Lily's Dubai, a Jamaican restaurant, presented his version of the Jerk’s chicken at The Dubai World Expo. He told us that it is very essential to nail the jerk paste, as the marinade allows the flavours to intensify whilst the chicken is smoked and penetrate right to the bone.
While Jerk is a more of a cooking style that involves everything from making the seasoning to grilling of meat, Jerk chicken is the name of a dish. Inarguably one of the most popular dishes of Jamaica, that has also found its way to Christmas dinners of the Caribbean. The original birthplace of jerk cuisine is actually said to be Boston, Portland. In the 1940’s the area at the west of San San and Port Antonio, became Boston Jerk Centre, and it still upholds its legacy of original jerk pits.
Back in 40’s the traditional meal of Boston would be jerk pork, but now you would find many jerk dishes across Boston and around the island. Even fruits are grilled the Jerk way in the islands and they are truly remarkable in their own way.
How To Make Jerk Chicken At Home, Recipe By Chef Richie
Ingredients
- 6 medium-sized Scotch bonnet peppers (can substitute with any hot red chilli powder)
- 1 yellow onion
- 1/2 cup chopped scallions
- 6 cloves of garlic
- 1/8 cup white vinegar
- 1/8 cup fresh lime juice
- 2 tablespoons oil (olive, vegetable, or canola)
- 3 tablespoons chopped ginger
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons salt (omit if using on ham)
- 1 tablespoon cracked black pepper
- 1 tablespoon pimento berries (or 1½ teaspoons allspice)
- 1 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 sprig of fresh thyme
Method
- Put ingredients in a blender and blend until you get a smooth paste. You can also store this marinade in the refrigerator for six months.
- Marinate the chicken well, and place it in a preheated oven and cook it for approximately 1 hour 20 minutes or until it is cooked.
- Now turn the oven on to broil, and then cook until the skin is crispy, this should take up to 2 to 5 minutes.
- To get the signature hot taste, it is advised to marinate the chicken overnight.