Jerk Chicken

Nothing says Jamaican food more than Jerk Chicken. Spicy marinated chicken cooked over live fire with the spices of the Caribbean. 

This recipe has the heat of the Scotch bonnet chillis, with the sweetness of orange juice. If you’re not into things too spicy, take out the seeds of the chillis. 

The Jerk paste packs a real punch, but it mellows a little with time. We put it on a spatchcocked chicken and it was superb. Legs and thighs thorough are far more traditional and their meat will take on the flavour much more.

Method

1. Take all the ingredients except for your chicken portions and blend, using a food processor, to a paste. I like mine a little chunky.
2. Add your paste to a zip lock bag with the chicken portions.
3. ‘Squidge’ the bag with the marinade and the chicken to coat all the portions.
4. Pop into the fridge to marinate overnight.

To cook your chicken.

1. Set up your Big Green Egg for a direct cook using the stainless steel grid.
2. Set your Egg to 180°C and give it time to warm.
3. Cook your chicken, turning every 5 minutes, until the internal temperature of the meat is above 74°C (use a Thermapen to check).

Notes: 

Jerk chicken is great served with rice and peas. Obvioiously there are no peas in rice and peas, just beans.