Barbecued Jerk Chicken with Rice and Peas
Yes, we're getting the barbecue out. And yes, there's another recipe for jerk chicken on this site. Go and look it up, see that one of the ingredients is 'jerk seasoning' and sneer at it. That's right. You're a chef now. Hold your head up.
Per portion
Calories from protein 23%, carbs 23%, fat 54%. Estimated from the ingredients.
Roughly £3.60 a portion, counting only what it uses from each jar. Buying the spices from scratch costs a fair bit more the first time.
Plus marinating: overnight, or as long as you can.
Method
- 1
Blitz the scotch bonnet, spring onions, ginger, garlic, thyme, sugar, soy sauce, allspice, nutmeg, pepper, lime zest and juice, olive oil and 1 tsp salt in a blender until you have a rough purée.
- 2
Put the marinade in a non-metallic bowl or a freezer bag. Cut two or three gashes into each chicken leg (not down to the bone), add them to the marinade and rub it in well. Leave in the fridge overnight, or as long as you can. If you don't have a probe thermometer, order one from Amazon that will arrive the next day.
- 3
Light the barbecue. While it gets going, rinse the rice a few times and put it in a small, cold pan with a lid, with the coconut milk, 50ml water, the Creole seasoning and a little salt. Don't heat it yet.
- 4
Grill the chicken legs like the pitmaster you are, turning now and then, for 30–40 minutes until the probe says 80–85°C in the thickest part of the thigh. They're safe at 75°C, but better a bit hotter. Keep them on a tray in a very low oven, about 60°C, while you do the rice. No barbecue? Roast them at 200°C (fan 180°C) for 40–45 minutes.
- 5
Crank the heat under the rice until it boils. Stir once, cover, turn the heat right down and cook for 8 minutes. Stir in the kidney beans, cover again and cook for 5 minutes more, then take it off the heat and leave it covered for 5 minutes. Cooking for more? Once it boils, let it bubble uncovered for 2–3 minutes before you cover it, and allow a few minutes longer: keep it covered until the rice is tender and the liquid absorbed.
- 6
Fluff up the rice, put the chicken on top and squeeze over any lime you've got left.
Cook's notes
- Sizes. Vegetables, fruit and eggs are medium unless the recipe says otherwise. A tin is a standard 400g tin.
- Dairy. Salted or unsalted butter both work; with salted, go easy on any extra salt. Use full-fat soured cream, crème fraîche and yoghurt in anything hot, as low-fat versions split.
- Stock. A cube or pot made up as the packet says. Cubes are salty, so taste before adding more salt.
- Heat. Medium means a gentle sizzle, not spitting. High means the oil shimmers before the food goes in. A simmer is a few lazy bubbles, not a rolling boil. Leave the lid off unless the recipe says to cover.
- Pans. A small saucepan is about 16cm and a frying pan about 24cm. Sauces reduce faster in a wider pan, so go by how it looks rather than the clock.
- Doneness. Chicken and turkey should reach 75°C in the thickest part, pork 65 to 70°C, and beef steak 55°C for medium-rare. Rest steaks and chops for a few minutes before slicing.
- Finishing. Taste before serving. Most dishes want a pinch more salt, and a squeeze of lemon or a splash of vinegar lifts anything rich.
- Leftovers. Cool quickly, cover and keep in the fridge for up to 2 days, then reheat until piping hot. Cooked rice keeps for 1 day and should only be reheated once.
solosupper.co.uk/recipes/barbecued-jerk-chicken-with-rice-and-peas/
