jerk chicken.
Ingredients:
brine:
1 whole chicken, broken down or 5 chicken legs.
1L Red Strip beer or any light lager.
1L water.
10 garlic cloves.
a few big chunks of ginger.
a handful of thyme sprigs.
60g kosher salt.
60g sugar.
marinade (jerk seasoning).
3 tbsp soy sauce.
2 tbsp oil.
1 lime, juiced.
1 tbsp cane/white/red wine vinegar.
1 tbsp browning.
1 tbsp worcestershire sauce.
2 tbsp picked thyme flowers.
3 scallions, chopped.
2 scotch bonnet or habanero peppers.
1/2 yellow onion, chopped.
2” knob ginger.
8-10 garlic cloves.
1 tbsp brown/muscovado sugar.
1/2 tbsp ground allspice.
1 tsp ground black pepper.
1/4 tsp grated nutmeg.
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon.
1 fresh bay leaf or pimento leaf.
jerk sauce:
1L demi-glace or reduced chicken stock.
150mL rum or whisky.
100mL port wine.
50mL sherry.
50mL dry white wine.
4 shallots, julienned.
4 garlic cloves, chopped.
1” knob ginger, chopped.
1 big bunch thyme.
3 scallions, chopped.
3 tbsp ketchup.
1 tbsp muscovado sugar.
2 tbsp oil.
2 tbsp butter.
3 tbsp ‘jerk marinade’
1 lime, zested.
1 tsp allspice berries.
red wine vinegar.
Equipment:
food processor.
grill or an oven.
Yield:
~500mL jerk seasoning, (you only need half for one chicken)
1 whole jerk’d chicken.
Execution:
chicken prep.
Optional; wash the chicken under cold water, scrub the exterior with a lime.
Whisk all of the brine ingredients until the salt and sugar is dissolved, then add the chicken.
Let brine for 8-12 hours in the fridge.
Remove from the brine and pat dry.
2. marinate the chicken.
Add all of the ingredients to a food processor and pulse until everything is well incorporated but still chunky.
Cut a few deep slits into the chicken down to the bone.
Marinate the chicken for 8-24 hours.
3. grill the chicken.
Light a charcoal grill, if you have pimento wood or chips use that, if not use some kind of fruit tree mix, make an aluminum foil bowl, fill it with allspice berries and some bay leaves and place it on top of the fire.
Once hot, place the chicken onto the grates, grill until the chicken is evenly charred, cover with a lid and let the residual heat smoke the chicken slowly.
Don’t burn the chicken, but get a good amount of char.
Brush with any leftover marinade as it grills.
Once cooked through, take off the grill and let rest for 5-10 minutes, serve.
Serve the wings and drumstick whole, cut the breasts into 3 equal pieces, cut the thighs through the bone into two pieces each.
3. bake the chicken
Preheat a convection oven to 450°F.
Lay the chicken onto a baking tray lined with a wire rack, roast until browned with a bit of char, flip and repeat until cooked through.
4. jerk sauce.
Heat oil in a saucepan over medium heat, add sugar and let caramelize until dark brown, almost burnt, then add garlic, ginger and shallot, let cook until softened.
Once softened add the allspice and cook until fragrant.
Add rum/whisky and reduce by half.
Add port, sherry and white wine, reduce by 1/2.
Add the demi-glace, reduce the heat to low, and let simmer until glossy and slightly thickened, which may take 30-45 minutes.
Add the ketchup, and cook for ~15 minutes.
Strain the sauce into another pot, add the jerk paste and thyme, cook for another 30 minutes.
Once thick enough to coat the back of the spoon, cut the heat and whisk in the butter.
Season to taste with lime zest, red wine vinegar, soy sauce and salt.