JERK CHICKEN RECIPE

The thought of a perfectly spiced, moist and tasty Jerk Chicken to accompany my left over Waakye, had me salivating as I kept walking faster to complete my 7.8km walk on Saturday. I kept my cheeky smile knowing I will head home to treat myself.  With each quick step I imagined my first bite into the Chicken, savouring of the flavours and deciding on whether to go for the legs, thighs, drumsticks or  wings'?. The decision was made when I saw the Chicken legs at my local butchers. I needed to get some soil from the Garden centre (to plant some herbs), however I drove past the centre consumed with excitement to start cooking.

 

I believe in the act of rewarding oneself, especially in the most trying of times. I've taken to walking as a form of exercise, escapism and to rejuvenate thyself.

 After each walk I find myself being more creative with recipes than ever coupled with a great sense of exhilaration. 

I had a great chat with my butcher and purchased a few Chicken legs and Wings and drove home happy with my purchases.

Looking into my spice larder, I started assembling my ingredients for the Jerk marinade. 

Anyway, enough of my dreamy imagination lets start cooking...

 Watch my Instagram stories about my Saturday morning walks. Follow 'Ndudu by Fafa' on Instagram.

 

Ingredients 

Marinade

30g of peeled fresh Ginger

1 Scotch Bonnet chilli

1 tablespoon of All spice berries

1 large clove of Garlic 

1 tablespoonful of black peppercorns

1 tablespoonful of dark brown Sugar

Half a teaspoon of ground Cinnamon 

Half a teaspoon of ground Nutmeg 

1 teaspoon of salt

35ml of dark Soy sauce

Juice and zest of 2 Limes

30g of fresh Thyme

70g of chopped Spring Onions 

6 Chicken legs

 

Best to use Free range or Organic Chicken.

Depending on how hot you want your Jerk sauce, you can double the chilli quantity. 

Personally, I preferred using just 1 (to enable the other flavours of herbs and spices to come through). Traditionally , Jerk Chicken is served with Rice and Peas (in effect Rice and Beans)which is similar to the Ghanaian 'Waakye'. Read more..

 

METHOD

Place the Chicken legs into a bowl with a lid and pour the marinade over it. Mix everything together, cove with the lid and leave it to marinade for a minimum of 24hrs or better still 48hrs.

READY TO COOK

Remove the Chicken from the fridge to come to room temperature, whilst you heat your oven grill to 180*c

Transfer the Chicken and marinade into a baking tray. Place the tray in the middle of the oven and grill for 30-40 minutes.

TIP

Baste the Chicken with its sauce every 10 minutes until cooked.

Once cooked, remove the Chicken from the oven and leave it to rest for 5-6 minutes.

 

Serve with rice and beans (Waakye), Green salad and some of the Jerk juice. 

All photos and recipes are by the owner of this blog.  
Watch the full video on how to make the Jerk Chicken on my YouTube channel, 'Ndudu by Fafa'. 

Find more inspiring recipes on my YouTube channel, 'Ndudu by Fafa'. Don't forget to subscribe and share.