Foodedo recipe

Jerk Chicken with Rice and Peas

Name: Jerk Chicken with Rice and Peas
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 75 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 1.4 kg chicken thighs (skin-on, bone-in; about 8 thighs); 6 spring onions (roughly chopped); 4 garlic (roughly chopped); 25 g fresh ginger (peeled and roughly chopped); 1 red chilli (roughly chopped; deseed for less heat); 2 tsp dried thyme; 2 tsp ground allspice; 1 / 2 tsp ground cinnamon; 1 / 4 tsp ground nutmeg; 2 tbsp dark brown soft sugar; 1 tbsp soy sauce; 1 tbsp white wine vinegar; 3 limes (1 zested and juiced for the jerk paste, 1 juiced for the slaw, 1 cut into wedges to serve); 2 tbsp sunflower oil; 1½ tsp fine salt (plus a pinch for the slaw); 1 / 2 tsp black pepper (plus a pinch for the slaw); 300 g long grain rice (rinsed); 1 onion (finely chopped); 1 garlic (finely chopped); 400 ml coconut milk (1 tin); 250 ml water; 400 g kidney beans (1 tin, drained); 1 tsp dried thyme; 1 / 2 tsp ground allspice; 300 g white cabbage (finely shredded); 2 carrots (coarsely grated); 1 tbsp olive oil

Serves 4

75 min

Quantities are kept as written by the author.

Spiced jerk chicken thighs roasted until sticky and dark at the edges, served with coconut rice and peas and a crisp lime slaw.

Ingredients

27 items

1.4 kgchicken thighsskin-on, bone-in; about 8 thighs
6spring onionsroughly chopped
4garlicroughly chopped
25 gfresh gingerpeeled and roughly chopped
1red chilliroughly chopped; deseed for less heat
2 tspdried thyme
2 tspground allspice
1 / 2 tspground cinnamon
1 / 4 tspground nutmeg
2 tbspdark brown soft sugar
1 tbspsoy sauce
1 tbspwhite wine vinegar
3limes1 zested and juiced for the jerk paste, 1 juiced for the slaw, 1 cut into wedges to serve
2 tbspsunflower oil
1½ tspfine saltplus a pinch for the slaw
1 / 2 tspblack pepperplus a pinch for the slaw
300 glong grain ricerinsed
1onionfinely chopped
1garlicfinely chopped
400 mlcoconut milk1 tin
250 mlwater
400 gkidney beans1 tin, drained
1 tspdried thyme
1 / 2 tspground allspice
300 gwhite cabbagefinely shredded
2carrotscoarsely grated
1 tbspolive oil

Recipe notes (2)

Note: For a hotter jerk flavour, leave the chilli seeds in or swap the red chilli for a Scotch bonnet if you can get one.
Note: If you want deeper flavour, you can coat the chicken in the jerk paste and chill it in advance before roasting.

Method

7 steps

Step 1. Preheat the oven to 220°C/200°C fan/Gas 7 and line a large roasting tin. In a small food processor, or by chopping very finely, make a coarse paste from the spring onions, 4 garlic cloves, ginger, red chilli, 2 tsp dried thyme, 2 tsp allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg, brown sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, the zest and juice of 1 lime, sunflower oil, 1 tsp of the salt and the black pepper.
Step 2. Put the chicken thighs in a large bowl and coat thoroughly with the jerk paste, rubbing it over and under the skin where you can. Arrange the thighs skin-side up in the roasting tin with a little space between them so they roast rather than steam. Wash your hands, the bowl and any surfaces that touched the raw chicken, and keep the raw chicken well away from the slaw ingredients. Do not wash raw chicken. Roast for 40-45 minutes, until dark at the edges and a clean probe in the thickest part of the meat, away from bone, reads 75°C for 30 seconds or 70°C for 2 minutes. If the chicken is colouring too quickly, cover loosely with foil for the last part of cooking.
Step 3. As soon as the chicken is in the oven, put the rice, onion, remaining garlic clove, coconut milk, water, drained kidney beans, remaining 1 tsp dried thyme, remaining 1/2 tsp allspice and remaining 1/2 tsp salt into a medium lidded saucepan. Bring to the boil over a medium heat, stir once, cover, then turn the heat to very low and simmer for 18-20 minutes until the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is tender.
Step 4. Take the rice and peas off the heat and leave it covered for 10 minutes so the grains finish steaming and firm up.
Step 5. While the rice cooks, toss the shredded cabbage and grated carrots with the juice of 1 lime, the olive oil and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Mix well and set aside until serving so it softens slightly but keeps some crunch.
Step 6. Transfer the cooked chicken to a warm plate or board and rest for 5 minutes. Spoon over any roasting tin juices.
Step 7. Fluff the rice and peas with a fork and taste for seasoning. Serve the jerk chicken with the rice and peas, the lime slaw and wedges from the remaining lime.