the dish
Jerk is one of those things where the marinade does almost all the work and the grill finishes it. The two things that are not negotiable are scotch bonnets and allspice. Everything else is adjustable. The scotch bonnets give it heat with actual flavour behind it, not just burn. The allspice (whole berries ground up or pre-ground) is what makes it taste like jerk and not just spicy grilled chicken. If you swap those two things out, you have made something else.
The chicken goes in a blended marinade overnight, then straight onto a grill hot enough to get real char on the outside. You want some of the edges to go dark. That is not burned, that is the point.
at a glance
ingredients
- 3 to 4 lbs bone-in chicken pieces (drumsticks, thighs, wings, or halved bird)
- Lime juice and water for washing
- 4 to 6 scotch bonnet peppers (seeds in for full heat, seeds out if you are being sensible)
- 6 scallions, roughly chopped
- 5 cloves garlic
- 1 inch fresh ginger, peeled
- 2 tsp whole allspice berries, toasted and ground (or 1½ tsp ground allspice)
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- ¼ tsp nutmeg
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves (or 1 tsp dried)
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tbsp neutral oil
- Juice of 1 lime
- Salt to taste
method
Wash the chicken pieces with lime juice and cold water, drain well. Score each piece deeply with a knife, two or three cuts down to the bone. This is not optional, the marinade needs to get inside or the inside of the chicken will taste like nothing.
Blend everything together until smooth. Taste it. It should be hot, fragrant, and slightly sweet. If it is too thick to coat, add a splash of water. Pour over the chicken, work it into all the cuts, cover, and refrigerate overnight. Minimum four hours but overnight is noticeably better.
Get the grill hot. Start the chicken on indirect heat (away from the direct flame), cover, and cook for about 20 minutes. Then move it over the direct heat and let it char, turning occasionally, until cooked through and genuinely dark in places. A meat thermometer reading 165°F at the thickest part and dark grill marks everywhere is what you are going for.
400°F for 35 to 40 minutes on a rack, skin side up. Crank the broiler for the last 4 to 5 minutes to get some colour. It is not the same as grill char but it is still very good.
notes
- The pepper. Scotch bonnets are not just hot, they are fruity. Habaneros are a reasonable substitute. Regular chillies are not the same thing and will make a different dish.
- Allspice. Whole berries toasted and ground fresh smell significantly better than pre-ground. Worth doing if you have a spice grinder.
- Resting. Let it sit for 5 minutes off the grill before serving. The juices settle and the outside stops burning your fingers.
- What to eat with it. Rice and peas (kidney beans cooked in coconut milk), festival (fried dough), or just bread to soak up anything left on the plate.