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Sunday Supper: Jerk Half-Chickens
Editor's note: Each Saturday afternoon we bring you a Sunday Supper recipe. Why on Saturday? So you have time to shop and prepare for tomorrow.
Most people who have spent time in the Caribbean have tried jerk seasoning. Jerk is a wet seasoning that most often includes garlic, thyme, allspice, nutmeg, cinnamon, lime and soy sauce and is most often used on chicken. Some of my favorite memories involving jerk chicken involve a long night at a beach bar, followed by a quick stop at a smoking grill on the side of the road for some spicy jerk chicken to fill me up before bed. Make sure to have lots of beer to serve alongside this chicken.
About the author: Sydney Oland lives in Boston where she completed her graduate work in Gastronomy and Food Studies in 2009, after a Professional Chef diploma from the Cambridge School of Culinary Arts. Find more information at www.sydneyoland.com (or read www.eatingnosetotail.com)
About This Recipe
| Yield: | 4 |
| Active time: | 10 minutes |
| Total time: | 60 minutes (plus overnight) |
| Special equipment: | Roasting pan or grill |
| Rated: |   |
Ingredients
- 1/2 teaspoon allspice berries, ground
- 3 large garlic cloves, peeled
- 4 scallions, trimmed
- 1 hot pepper, seeded (depending on how hot you like it, Scotch bonnets are traditional but long peppers or even jalapenos work in a pinch)
- Juice of 1 lime
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 large pinches of Kosher salt
- 2 large pinches freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 small bunch thyme
- 3/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 2 chickens
Procedures
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1
Combine allspice, garlic, scallions, hot pepper, lime juice, soy sauce, vegetable oil, salt, black pepper, thyme, nutmeg and cinnamon in a food processor and process until smooth.
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2
Split chickens in half by cutting along each side of the spine with kitchen shears and removing it, then cutting down the center of the breast. Place chicken in large dish and slather with half of jerk seasoning; allow to sit in the fridge overnight.
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3
The following day, preheat oven to 425°, or preheat an outdoor grill. If using an outdoor grill, use indirect heat to cook the chickens; jerk tends to burn over high heat. If using an oven cook until internal temperature is 160°, about 50 minutes. Serve with lime wedges.
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