Jamakin Me Hungry!

Jerk Chicken

One of my favorite Jamaican foods, jerk chicken is fragrant, smokey, and can sometimes be spicy hot. The chicken is first marinated or dry-rubbed with a mixture of jerk spices which include ginger, garlic, thyme, and cinnamon but always includes pimento (allspice) - a locally grown West Indies spice - and habanero peppers or scotch bonnets. It’s then slow cooked on an open grill over hot coals. You'll almost always find it on the menu at local restaurants, but most time you’ll always find someone cooking it up as street food, grilled in a metal drum on the side of the road. You haven't had jerk chicken until you've had it in Jamaica.

Ingredients

1 medium onion, coarsely chopped

3 medium scallions, chopped

2 Scotch bonnet or habanero peppers, chopped

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1 tablespoon allspice berries, coarsely ground

1 tablespoon coarsely ground pepper

1 teaspoon dried thyme, crumbled

1 tablespoon packed brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup soy sauce

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Two 3 1/2- to 4-pound chickens, quartered

How to Make It

Step 1

In a food processor, combine the onion, scallions, peppers, garlic, allspice, pepper, thyme, brown sugar, cinnamon and salt; process to a coarse paste. With the machine on, add the soy sauce and oil in a steady stream. Pour the marinade into a large, shallow dish, add the chicken and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Bring the chicken to room temperature before proceeding.

Step 2

Light a grill. Grill the chicken over a medium-hot fire, turning occasionally, until well browned and cooked through, 35 to 40 minutes. (Cover the grill for a smokier flavor.) Transfer the chicken to a platter and serve.

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