Caribbean jerk chicken
Most Caribbean families make their own jerk spice rub, which may be wet or dry. In my family, in the 1970s, our jerk chicken was not always made with young chicken, but cleaning the meat by rubbing it with lemon, then brining, then marinating, then cooking it over a smoky barbecue made it very flavoursome. The chicken you buy these days is usually young and doesn’t need brining, but the brine will plump up the chicken and add flavour.
The main recipe describes how to cook jerk chicken in the oven, but instructions for cooking on a barbecue are in the recipe tips.
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
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.
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.
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.
Take the chicken out of the fridge 1–2 hours before you want to cook it, to bring it up to room temperature.
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.
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.
Serve with lime wedges, rice and peas and fried plantains. If you like you can also serve coleslaw and hot sauce.
Recipe Tips
Traditionally chicken would be washed and rubbed with lemon halves before cooking. However, this is advised against by the Food Standards Authority. More information is available .
You can use ready-made jerk seasoning, but add the onion, garlic and Scotch bonnets to make the rub, along with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
To cook on a barbecue with a lid, you will need to make a basting liquid by reserving a third of the jerk rub. Add a little water and olive oil and cook gently for 30 minutes in a small saucepan. Light the barbecue and when the coals are white, put the chicken on the grill, skin-side down, and cook slowly over a medium heat, basting regularly, until cooked through. The internal temperature of the chicken should be above 75C on a probe thermometer. Alternatively, test by piercing the thickest part with a skewer: the juices should run clear.
You can also start cooking the chicken in the oven and finish on the barbecue to add some charred flavour.