Friday, July 9, 2010

Jerk Chicken ... Minorcan Style


The ingredient list is visually represented above.
Yowza.
There's a lot of stuff in this marinade!
I followed a recipe for jerk that I found in my favorite grilling cookbook, "HOW TO GRILL" by Steven Raichlen.
Great Book!

The ingredient list is so long, I'm not going to include it all in this post, but HERE is a very similar and very authentic recipe with photos ... direct from Jamaica.

It's almost the same as the one in my cookbook.

I could not find scotch bonnet peppers in our little town, so I substituted my own datil peppers from the backyard.
THAT is what makes my version, "Minorcan Style".

I seeded them as per the recipe, but having now made this dish, I would have left the seeds in.
I wanted this chicken to be fiery hot and it was only warm-hot.

So, the next time, I'll either use more whole datils or find the real scotch bonnets and use them.
My recipe said to use 6-12 scotch bonnet peppers ... 6-12 ?
That is a WIDE range ... it's not like saying 2 -3, five or six ... doubling something is a pretty dramatic change.
I just thought that was funny.

Here is the jerk marinade almost complete. This photo was taken before I remembered the brown sugar and cinnamon.


The chicken is supposed to marinate in it overnight, but I rushed this step since I was busy painting the house while I cooked,
Mine only got a few hours ... next time it's overnight baby!




I direct grilled them for a while to get a good seared grill flavored skin.
After a while, the birds went off to the side to slow cook and finish off. The recipe called for tossing Allspice berries on to the coals for flavored smoke and I did that step.




At the last minute, we tossed some ears of corn on the grill to cook a little. The picture above shows the finished chickens and the just barely cooked corn.
Really now ... good sweet corn needs no cooking or butter, salt, etc.
Break that habit and just eat it you fools!
Why take something healthy and delicously sweet and glob it up with heart clogging butter?
Save the butter for a pound cake or something where it's actually needed!
Okay.
I'm off my corn crate soap box now.

I was too tired from a painting marathon day and cooking to make a salad, so uncharacteristically so ... there is no green on my plate.
I made my killer black beans, brown rice, corn, jerk chicken, and great progress painting the house ... so I figured that was enough for one day.






8 comments:

tai haku said...

I'd have thought your datils would be pretty close to the scotch bonnets firepower wise FC especially with seeds in....

speaking of which; are you likely to have any Datil seed available around november time?

cinbad122 said...

So I guess I won't be doing this...LOL

Anonymous said...

Hey FC,

I love Steve Raichlen! I used to watch BBQ University all the time. Have you ever tried his Chinatown or Mint Julep with Bourbon BBq Sauce Ribs? I even bought a grill rack like the one that he used.

Oh my goodness! I have his website bookmarked!

Off to G'vl. Have a good weekend.

Patio

Sharon Rudd said...

I'm enjoying the heck out of your blog(s), which I found via La Diva. I keep meeting the nicest people from Florida!

This looks and sounds terrific, FC. I'll have to check my copy of Raichlen's cookbook for the recipe you used. I also hope you know we'd love to have you participate in the next Culinary Smackdown. I'm sure you'd bring something delicious to the table (if you're not too busy back at the homestead). Details here: http://eggplanttogo.blogspot.com/2010/06/july-culinary-smackdown-announcement.html

Thanks! eggy

myamuhnative said...

Hmm, did you put the rum in the chicken or in the pitmaster?
Pimento berries are starting to fill out on a friends tree-I could send some your way if you want some.Maybe even some of the ones we use to make pimento dram and then dry(they are even better for grinding and adding to jerk marinade.
PS Steven is my mom's neighbor!

R.Powers said...

Tai,
Yes, I plan to have seeds by then. My plants look healthy and are making peppers as we speak.

Cindy,
Somehow, little Mama, I see you buying a bottle of jerk marinade off the shelf. heehee


Patio,
I confess, I never heard of him before seeing the book in Sams and falling in chef love with it.
What network was his show on?


Hi Eggy!
La Diva is pretty amazing isn't she? So glad you are dropping in here now. I will return the favor and check out your smackdown link.


Myamuh,
I have never seen pimento as anything but a red powder! LOL!
It must be great to have a grill master as a neighbor. Think of the smells that must waft across the fence!
Apparently everybody knows about this guy but me. LOL!

Anonymous said...

Me again...

He is on PBS WUFT. His new show is Primal Grill. Next episode:

Tuesday, July 13 — 12:00pm
5 - WUFT
Grilling techniques are demonstrated.

His old show was BBQ University which I watched all the time. WUFT still shows it listed but I can't get it here. WUFT website says it's on tomorrow at 8:30a, 2;30p and again at 8:30p. but who knows.

His web sites:
http://www.bbqu.net/

AND

http://www.barbecuebible.com/blog/2010_07/01_primal_grill_ts.php

I too am in chef love with him and would send a lot of time outdoors if he were my neighbor!!

Hey.....I was in the middle of that high speed chase yesterday. Did you see it on the news?

P

myamuhnative said...

Oh sorry, I should have said that pimento=allspice!
You were probably wondering why I was talking about Pimento?
I usually harvest and dry some of the leaves to use in the grill too.