Easy Jerk Chicken

Jerk Chicken with Brown Rice

Yield: 4

A recipe is merely words on paper; a guideline, a starting point from which to improvise. It cannot pretend to replace the practiced hand and telling glance of a watchful cook. For that reason, this is also an account of what happens when I make this dish, so you’ll understand each step. Of course when you cook it once, it becomes yours, so personalize it a bit. Add more of an ingredient you like or less of something you don’t like. Try substituting one ingredient for another. Remember words have no flavour, you have to add your own!

This is my version of one of the tastiest ways ever invented to flavour grilled chicken; a jerk marinade. The marinade is essentially highly seasoned pureed raw onion, and, of course, the longer the chicken sits in it, the better it will taste. Try overnight! You don’t have to use a chipotle pepper but I prefer its smoky flavour and medium heat to traditional fiery hot habenero peppers.

Ingredients:

Chicken

• 2 tbsp of ground allspice
• 1 x dried chipotle pepper
• 2 bunch of green onions, roughly chopped
• 4 x limes, juiced and zested
• 1/4 cup of molasses or honey
• 1/2 cup of olive oil or vegetable oil
• Salt
• 1 lb. chicken, cut into 4 pieces (2 breasts and 2 legs)

Rice

• 1/2 sticks of butter
• 1 cup of brown rice
• 2 cups of chicken stock or water
• salt and pepper

Directions:

Chicken

1. Place allspice, chipotle pepper, green onions, limejuice and zest, molasses, olive oil and salt into a blender and puree until a smooth paste forms. Scrape it into a large bowl, add the chicken pieces and toss until thoroughly coated. Wrap with plastic wrap or place in freezer bags and marinate in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
2. While the chicken marinades, and when it’s almost time to eat, make the rice. Begin by melting the butter in a medium saucepot over a medium-high heat. Continue simmering the butter until it begins to foam. Swirl gently until you see golden brown particles on the bottom. Immediately add the rice grains and stir well. This will toast them adding a layer of nutty flavour and will also prevent the butter from heating up too much and burning. Turn the heat down to low. Add the stock, season and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes until tender.
3. Preheat a grill, barbecue or oven. When grill is hot, place chicken pieces on it, skin side down. Turn chicken after 10 minutes and continue cooking the other side for another 10 minutes or so, until done. If the grill flames up, or chicken chars, splash with water until the flare-up subsides.

Fennel Salad

Ease of Preparation: Easy
2-4 Servings

Fennel is one of my favourite vegetables and this dish really shows off its crisp sweetness and subtle licorice flavours. Try it. Its simplicity will blow you away! It’ll soon become one of your favourites.

Fennel Salad

A fennel bulb
The juice and zest from half a lemon
A spoonful of honey
A few splashes of olive oil
A sprinkle or two of salt and pepper

Remove the stalks from the top of the fennel bulb. Cut the head in half through the core. Carefully trim out the woody core then slice the remaining bulb as thinly as possible. Alternatively, shred it through the large holes of a box grater.

Whisk the lemon, honey, olive oil and seasoning together in a nice salad bowl. Toss with the fennel then grab some forks!



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