Jerk Chicken

In case you haven’t been paying attention, I like spicy food.  Jamaican Jerk is about as spicy as it comes.  Jerk is both a spice rub for pork and chicken and a technique for cooking the marinated meat.  The technique requires smoking which I do not know how to do.  So, I just made the marinade.  It is delicious.

The main ingredients in Jerk seasoning are allspice and Scotch bonnet peppers.  After, that recipes diverge.  I have eaten Jerk chicken in many different restaurants and a few of those were located in Jamaica.  So I messed around and came up with a rub that I find pleasing.  You can make this and then mess around yourself.

I know that I always say to use gloves when cutting hot peppers.  This time I am not kidding.  To give you an idea of what I mean when I say hot, the hottest jalapeño is around 4,000 SHUs on the Scoville scale while the mildest Scotch bonnet is around 100,000 SHUs.   The Scoville scale is the amount of the spiciness of chili peppers measured in Scoville heat units (SHU).  It is a function of the amount of capsaicin in the pepper.  Capsaicin is the chemical that makes peppers hot.  It is concentrated in the seeds and white ribs inside the chili.  Also, when making this I like to buy the allspice berries whole rather than ground.  The flavor is more pungent.

This recipe makes more than you need for 4 thighs.  However, it keeps for 2 weeks in the fridge.  Marinate pork chops with the leftovers.

Servings: 4

Time:   Prep: 5 minutes; marinate; 2 hours to overnight. Cook: 45 Minutes
Hardware:  measuring spoons and cups, a cutting board and knives, no powder latex gloves, a rubber spatula, a spice grinder (if you are using whole allspice), a food processor, a large plastic container with a lid, a large heavy bottom skillet that can be used both on top of the stove and in the oven, tongs, thermometer, a jar to store the extra jerk

Ingredients:

• ½ cup allspice
• 1 large yellow onion (½ cup)
• 5 cloves garlic
• 3 scotch bonnet peppers (can substitute habaneros)
• ⅓ cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons fresh thyme (or 1 ground)
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon salt
• Salt and pepper
• 4 bone in chicken thighs
• Olive oil to cover the bottom of the pan.



Jerk Chicken-Spicy, Island Yumminess

1. If you are using whole allspice grind it to a powder.
2. Peel the onion and quarter it. Peel the garlic.
3. Make sure you are wearing the gloves from here forward.  If you prefer less heat, remove the seeds from the peppers.  I just remove the stems.
4. Put the onion, garlic, and pepper in the processor and pulse until the onions are liquefied.  Scrape down the sides of the hopper and add the allspice, sugar, thyme, cinnamon, and the teaspoon salt to the hopper.  Pulse until everything is incorporated, stopping to scrape the hopper.
5. Salt and pepper both sides of the chicken.
6. Place the chicken in the large plastic container and top it with about ⅔ cups of the marinade.  With the gloves still on rub the marinade into the chicken, getting it under the skin.  Place the chicken in the fridge for at least 2 hours but you can leave it in overnight.  Scrape the leftover marinade into the jar and put it into the fridge.
7. Make sure that you place everything that the peppers touched into the dishwasher.
8. Remove the chicken about ½ hour before you need it.
9. Preheat the oven to 375˚.  Heat the olive oil in the skillet on medium high
10. Add the chicken skin side down.  Turn the pan down to medium and cook for 8 minutes.Turn the chicken with tongs and cook for 7 more minutes. Place the pan in the oven and cook for 35 more minutes or until the thermometer read 165 when inserted into the thickest part of the largest thigh. Allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Serve with Pineapple Salsa or Peach Salsa and black-eyed peas over rice.