Jamaican Jerk Chicken

Jerk chicken can be grilled or baked and is a no fuss chicken recipe. Jerk refers to the wet marinade that makes this chicken so flavorful and yummy. You can find pre made jerk dry rub mix in the store but this time I decided to try making my own home made marinade. Scotch bonnet or the habanero chilly , all spice berries, scallions, herbs and pineapple imparts the meat with a right balance of sweet heat and flavor.The flavors are dominant and awaken your senses.

This is a home made version of the jerk chicken. There is a time honored cooking technique and the real jerk chicken is cooked over charcoal which gives it a smoky flavor. I adapted this recipe form the cook book Chicken :60 Simple Recipes for Great Home Cooking. Try this you will surely love it.

Ingredients
Chicken joints- 4
Shallots- 3
Scallions- 2 chopped
Habanero-4-5
(this is less spicy than scotch bonnet
adjust according to taste)
Thyme- 1/2 tsp

Ginger and garlic paste- 1 tsp
All spice berries- 1 tbs
Black pepper- 1/3 tsp
Cinnamon- 1/3 tsp
Nutmeg- a pinch
Pineapple chopped-3 tbs
Dark brown sugar- 1 tbs
Rum - 1 tb(optional)
Salt to taste
Oil- 2 tbs

Clean and pat dry chicken and set aside.
Put the rest of the ingredients into a food processor and blend into a smooth thick paste. Adjust according to taste or the spice level. You can double the recipe and store in refrigerator for one week.
Make deep slashes on the chicken and marinate the chicken with this paste. Refrigerate it over night or for at least three hours.
Place the marinated chicken into a roasting pan and roast in pre heated oven at 400 degree f for 30- 40 minutes.
Serve with rice. I served with Brown rice with coconut and green peas. You can also serve this with some salad for a filling tasty meal. Happy Cooking!