Martha's Jerk Chicken

Submitted by alligirl

"From the article -"Scotch bonnet and habanero chiles are native to the Caribbean and are extremely hot. Scotch bonnets are traditional, but you can use habaneros, which are similar and easier to find. Use fewer or more, according to your taste. Protect your hands by wearing gloves when cutting the peppers and when rubbing the chicken with marinade. Plan ahead so the chicken can marinate overnight; allowing it to come to room temperature before grilling makes for faster and more even cooking." Prep time does not included overnight marinading. Posted for ZWT 5."

 

• Ready In: 35mins
• Ingredients: 16
• Yields: 16 pieces
• Serves: 8

ingredients

• 3 fresh scotch bonnet peppers or 3 habanero peppers, seeded and finely chopped
• 1 small yellow onion, coarsely chopped
• 8 scallions, coarsely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed with the flat side of a large knife
• 3 tablespoons fresh thyme (about 1 bunch, finely chopped)
• 1⁄4 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons ground allspice
• 1 tablespoon coarse salt
• 1 1⁄4 teaspoons ground nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1⁄2 cup white vinegar
• 1⁄4 cup soy sauce
• 1⁄4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice (2 to 3 limes, plus lime wedges for serving)
• 1⁄4 cup vegetable oil, plus more for brushing grill
• fresh ground pepper
• 2 whole chickens (about 5 pounds each, cut into 8 pieces each, or 16 drumsticks and thighs, rinsed well and patted dry)

directions

1. Make jerk marinade: Process chiles, onion, scallions, garlic, and thyme in a food processor until mixture forms a coarse paste.
2. Add brown sugar, allspice, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, vinegar, soy sauce, lime juice, and oil; season with pepper.
3. Process until smooth. Marinade can be refrigerated in an airtight container up to 1 day before proceeding.
4. Transfer 1/3 of the marinade (about 1 cup) to a small bowl; set aside to use for brushing chicken.
5. Transfer remaining marinade to a large bowl.
6. Add chicken; toss to coat, rubbing marinade under the skin and all over chicken. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight. Allow the chicken to come to room temperature before grilling.
7. Heat a grill to low (if using a charcoal grill, coals are ready when you can hold your hand 5 inches above grate for 7 seconds).
8. Brush grate lightly with oil.
9. Place chicken on grill, skin sides down. Discard used marinade.
10. Grill chicken, brushing occasionally with reserved cup of fresh marinade, until the skin sides are well browned but not charred, about 25 minutes. Turn chicken, and continue to cook, basting it occasionally, until cooked through, 20 to 25 minutes.
11. Cut chicken breast halves into 2 or 3 pieces, if desired.
12. Serve with lime wedges.

Reviews

[pamela t.]

Very nice, alligirl! Love the peppers with the chicken. We had this during football last week. Made for football pool, week 4, 2009.

 

[Andi Longmeadow Farm]

This is exactly what I love, and exactly what I am looking for when I am looking for "jerk" anything. I followed this exactly, taking almost 2 days to let all the ingredients marinate and adjust to each other. I didn't skimp on the scotch bonnets and kept true to the recipe. This produces an enormously delicious, juicy, highly spiced (but *not* hot) chicken. The only change I made was to halve the recipe, and was able to do so easily. This is not hard at all do put together, but just hard to allow it time to seduce the chicken and the marinade together whilst you wait. :) Loved it! Perfect for a hot summer day! Made for your win in *Everyday is a Holiday* August 2009

 

[Lavender Lynn]

We made just one teeny-weeny little adjustment... we used pork loin in place of chicken, knowing from earlier in the week that it would be fine. It's more than fine, it's great. We love Jerk marinades and this is a very good one. Because the lady of the house can't handle heat, we divided out the marinade and added the lively little orange peppers to only part of it; the other part got a jalapeno, which is much milder. (Habaneros, including the Scotch Bonnet variety, are extremely hot.) Both ways, very fine; there's more to Jerk than heat, but heat adds something if you can take it. Made for Zaar World Tour 5.