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Jerk Chicken

Recipe

Jerk is a style of cooking native to Jamaica, in which meat is dry-rubbed or wet-marinated with a hot spice mixture called Jamaican jerk spice.  The technique of jerking (or cooking with jerk spice) originated from Jamaica's indigenous peoples, the Arawak and Taíno tribes, and was adopted by the descendants of 17th-century Jamaican Maroons who intermingled with them. The smoky taste of jerked meat is achieved by using various cooking methods, including modern wood-burning ovens. Chicken or pork is usually jerked, and the main ingredients of the spicy jerk marinade / sauce are allspice and scotch bonnet peppers, which are native to Jamaica.

Ingredients

  • 1 chicken, jointed (or a pack of mixed chicken pieces)
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tbsp barbecue sauce
  • lime wedges, to serve

For the brine (optional)

  • 1 tbsp sea salt
  • 1 large onion, roughly chopped
  • 1–2 rosemary sprigs
  • 2 bay leaves
  • black peppercorns

For the jerk rub

  • 2 tbsp ground allspice or all-purpose seasoning
  • 1 tsp allspice berries
  • 1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
  • 1 tbsp ground cinnamon
  • 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
  • 1 tbsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 tbsp salt
  • 1 tbsp light brown sugar
  • 1½ tbsp cider vinegar
  • 1½ tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 onion, chopped
  • 8 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
  • 2–3 Scotch bonnet chillies, seeds removed (unless you like it hot), roughly chopped
  • large handful fresh thyme, leaves picked, or 2 tsp dried thyme

Method

  1. If you want to brine the chicken, put the salt, onion, rosemary, bay leaves and peppercorns in a big pot, add about 1 litre/1¾ pints cold water and stir to dissolve the salt. Add the chicken, adding a little more water if necessary to ensure they are completely submerged. Leave in the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight. Drain the chicken and pat dry, discarding the brine.
  2. Put all the ingredients for the jerk rub into a blender or a pestle and mortar, add about 3 tablespoons water and blitz or pound until smooth.
  3. Put the chicken in a bowl and pour over the jerk rub. Using a spoon (or wearing disposable or clean rubber gloves to protect your skin from the Scotch bonnets), turn the chicken in the mixture. Cover and leave to marinate in the fridge for at least 4 hours or preferably overnight.
  4. Take the chicken out of the fridge 1–2 hours before you want to cook it, to bring it up to room temperature.
  5. Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4. Put the chicken on a rack over a roasting tin and cook for 30 minutes, turning the chicken after about 15 minutes and basting with the juices from the roasting tin. The chicken is cooked when the skin is an even dark brown colour and the juices run clear when pierced with a skewer in the thickest part.
  6. Turn up the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6. Pour off the chicken juices from the roasting tin and mix with barbecue sauce. Baste the chicken with this mixture and return to the oven for 10 minutes, until crispy.
  7. Serve with lime wedges, and the Festivals to mop up the sauce