Recipes

# Jerk Chicken

Servings 4-6. Takes a total of 3 days brining and marinating plus 2 hours of active cooking time

# Ingredients

for the brine:

  • cup kosher salt
  • cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tbsp whole allspice
  • 5 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 1 habanero or Scotch bonnet pepper, halved
  • 1 piece ginger, roughly chopped
  • 1 chicken

for the jerk paste:

  • 1 cup soy sauce
  • cup thyme leaves
  • cup Worcestershire sauce
  • grams tamarind paste
  • 1 tbsp ground allspice
  • 1 tbsp light brown sugar
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
  • 3 fresh bay leaves
  • 2 bunches of scallions, roughly chopped
  • 2 habanero or Scotch bonnet peppers, halved
  • 1 piece of ginger, peeled and roughly chopped

for the barbecue sauce:

  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • cup minced ginger
  • 10 garlic cloves, minced
  • 3 yellow onions, roughly chopped
  • 3 cups ketchup
  • 1 cups dark brown sugar
  • 1 grams of your jerk paste

# Directions

  1. Brine the chicken: Heat the salt, sugar, allspice, garlic, habanero, and ginger with 1 gallon water in a large saucepan over medium until the salt and sugar have dissolved. Add 1 pound of ice and cool completely. Add the chicken and cover. Refrigerate overnight.

  2. Make the jerk paste: Place all the ingredients in a blender or food processor and purée until smooth. After the chicken has been brined for 24 hours, remove from the brine and pat dry. Place in a shallow dish and coat in cup of the jerk paste. Cover directly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 24 hours.

  3. Make the barbecue sauce: Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the ginger, garlic, and onions and cook until soft, about 8 minutes. Add the ketchup, brown sugar, and jerk paste and cook, stirring occasionally, until thick, about 1 hour. Cool, then transfer to a blender and purée until smooth. Makes about 6 cups.

  4. To grill the chicken, light a charcoal grill. Sprinkle wood chips that have been soaked in water over the coals. Place the chicken on the grill grate and grill flipping once, until charred on each side and a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the chicken reads 165°F, about 40 minutes. Brush with some of the barbecue sauce and cook until a little more charred. Transfer to a cutting board to rest for 10 minutes, then chop into 2-inch pieces. Serve with more barbecue sauce and white bread.