Jerk Chicken with Lime & Caramelized Pineapple

Nigel Barden
5 days ago
4 min read

by Dan May from The Red Hot Chilli Cookbook (Ryland Peters & Small)

Photography: Peter Cassidy

Jerk is a style of cooking native to the Caribbean island of Jamaica. Traditionally chicken or pork were marinated in a mixture of ground pimento berries and Scotch Bonnet chillies, then cooked and smoked in equal proportion over a fire of pimento wood to which the leaves and berries were also added. This gave the meat a very distinctive taste. In more modern times (and outside the Caribbean) the term ‘jerk’ refers more to the marinade used to flavour and tenderize the meat prior to cooking.

Serves 4

Ingredients

4 free-range chicken breasts, skin on

150 ml Jamaican Jerk Marinade

1 lime, ½ thinly sliced and ½ freshly squeezed

1 tablespoon dark rum

1 teaspoon dark soy sauce

1 teaspoon dark brown sugar

½ pineapple, peeled, cored and cut into wedges

groundnut oil, for greasing (optional)

Green Pepper, Tomato & Habanero Chilli Salsa, to serve

rice salad, to serve

ridged stovetop grill pan (optional)

Method

Put the chicken in a bowl and cover with the Jamaican jerk marinade. Make sure the chicken is thoroughly coated, then cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours; overnight is ideal.

Remove the chicken from the marinade (reserve the marinade). Gently lift the edge of the skin on each chicken breast, creating a small pocket against the flesh. Take 1–2 thin slices of lime (1 for a small piece of chicken, and 2 for a large) and slide these under the skin. These will caramelize during cooking.

You can roast, griddle or barbecue the chicken. If roasting, preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F) Gas 5. Put the chicken in a roasting dish. Spoon a few tablespoons of the marinade over the chicken. Roast in the preheated oven for about 35–40 minutes or until fully cooked and the juices run clear. Baste the chicken with the marinade as it roasts. The chicken will become quite dark in places while cooking; this is normal but if you wish to avoid it, cover the pan with foil for the first 25 minutes of cooking.

If cooking on a ridged stovetop grill pan, heat the pan, adding a little groundnut oil if you like. Once hot, sear the chicken on both sides, then lower the heat and cook for about 8–10 minutes each side.

On the barbecue, over medium heat, the chicken should take about 10 minutes each side; the juices in the middle should run clear. If barbecuing or griddling, baste with the marinade several times during cooking. Please note that this marinade was in contact with uncooked chicken, so always allow 5–10 minutes between the last time you baste and the end of cooking to ensure the marinade itself is thoroughly cooked.

Mix the lime juice, rum, soy sauce and sugar in a bowl and add the pineapple wedges. Mix to coat thoroughly (Nigel left the wedges in the mixture for 30 mins). Remove the wedges from this mixture, paint with a little groundnut oil and place on a hot stovetop grill pan or on the barbecue to lightly and evenly char.

Serve the chicken with the caramelized pineapple, green pepper, tomato & Habanero chilli salsa and a rice salad.

Jamaican Jerk Marinade

This makes a lovely HOT marinade! By a long and exhaustive process of elimination I seem to find myself instinctively mistrusting people who tell me they can’t eat spicy food – as far as I have ever seen, it just does you good. This recipe is therefore something of a litmus test when inviting new friends around for dinner. I am not, of course, suggesting that you shouldn’t have friends who avoid spicy food, just that it’s probably best not to leave them alone with the single malt after dinner!

Ingredients

2 teaspoons ground allspice

1 tablespoon black peppercorns

1 teaspoon grated nutmeg

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon sea salt

3 Scotch Bonnet chillies, roughly chopped

10 spring onions, roughly chopped

½ onion, roughly chopped

4 garlic cloves, sliced

5 cm/2 inches of fresh ginger, peeled and chopped

small bunch of fresh thyme, chopped

4 fresh bay leaves, torn

2 tablespoons molasses

80 ml freshly squeezed lime juice

80 ml sunflower oil

1 tablespoon dark rum

Makes about 300 g

Method

Toast the ground allspice in a hot, dry, heavy-based saucepan over medium heat. When it is ready, it will release a strong aroma. Grind the allspice and peppercorns with a pestle and mortar or a spice grinder until they become quite powdery.

Blend all the ingredients together in a food processor or with a hand blender to form a smooth, thick paste. Place in a clean, airtight container and refrigerate. The flavour of the marinade will improve over time and it will keep refrigerated for at least 4 weeks. This marinade is extremely hot and is great for chicken or pork.

MY TIP: If you do not have molasses to hand, use pure maple syrup or treacle.

Green Pepper, Tomato & Habanero Chilli Salsa

Real salsas are at their best just after they are made. Once you have experienced these feisty, zingy flavours, you will never go back to supermarket salsa! Eat in burritos or with a plate of nachos.

Ingredients

2 green sweet peppers

120 g cucumber

4 plum tomatoes

2 shallots, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, crushed

handful of fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped

1 Habanero or Scotch Bonnet chilli, very finely chopped

grated zest and freshly squeezed juice of 1 lime

4 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Makes 200–250 g

Method

Peel, deseed and dice the sweet peppers, cucumber and plum tomatoes.

In a large bowl, combine the shallots, peppers, cucumber, tomatoes, garlic and parsley. Add the chilli, mix thoroughly and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Put the lime zest and juice, oil and vinegar into a small bowl, whisk together to make a dressing and add to the salsa. Toss together well and serve as soon as possible.

Drinks tasted on air, alongside the dish: