Bajan Chicken Recipes

BAJAN CHICKEN

Steps:

• Rinse and dry the chicken pieces and put them into a shallow glass dish.
• Put the allspice, peppercorns, and cinnamon stick into a spice grinder and grind to a powder. To a full sized blender add the onion, peppers, scallions, garlic, scotch bonnet, thyme, lime juice, olive oil, butter, and ground spices. Blend to a puree; add some water if it is too thick. Pour this over the chicken, cover, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. Remove the chicken from the refrigerator 1/2 hour before you cook it.
• Heat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Put the remaining 3 tablespoons oil in a large, oven-proof saute pan over medium-high heat. Remove the chicken from the marinade and season it with salt. Brown the chicken on both sides, then place the pan in the oven and roast until the chicken is cooked through, about 20 minutes. Serve garnished with cilantro leaves.

BAJAN BAKED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Pour the chicken stock into the bottom of a roasting pan. Place the onion cubes in the stock and spread out in the pan. Smear the Bajan Seasoning under the skin and on top of all 12 pieces of chicken. Lay the chicken pieces in the pan skin side up. Place a cube of butter on each piece of chicken. Sprinkle the lemon zest, thyme, chives, salt and pepper on each chicken piece. Pour lemon juice on each piece of chicken.
• Bake for 30-40 minutes. Then reduce the oven heat to 375-degree F and bake for another 15 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F. I like to serve the chicken with a green salad with chopped red pepper, fruit (such as pineapple) and a poppy seed dressing. Enjoy! Serves 6-10.

BAJA CHICKEN

Steps:

• mix all ingredients except chicken in a bowl.
• add chicken and let marinate 24 - 48 hours.
• take chicken out of marinade and place in a 9x13 baking dish.
• bake uncovered in a 425 degree F oven for 30 minutes.
• cover and bake at 325 degrees F for 30 more minutes.
• while still warm place in a mixer and slowly beat with paddle to shred or shred by hand when cool enough to do so.
• serve over rice or wrapped in a tortilla.
• Alternate cooking method using a grill.
• reserve 1/3 of marinade.
• mix chicken into the rest of marinade.
• marinate 24 - 48 hours.
• cook the chicken on a grill until outside is slightly blackened.
• put in a 9x13 pan
• add the reserved marinade.
• cover and bake at 325 degrees F for 30 minutes.
• shred as described above.

BAJAN FRIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
• Add chicken, then reduce heat, cover and simmer until chicken is tender, 30 to 40 minutes.
• Prepare Seasoning Mix.
• Drain chicken and pat it dry.
• Cool completely, then cut into 8 serving pieces.
• Cut a long, deep pocket in meaty part of each piece, filling each pocket with about 2 tablespoons of Seasoning Mix.
• Heat oil in a deep-fryer or large skillet to 375F (190C) or until a 1-inch bread cube turns golden brown in 50 seconds.
• On a large plate, combine flour, salt and pepper; coat chicken pieces, shaking off any excess flour.
• Dip pieces into beaten eggs, then roll them in bread crumbs to coat thoroughly.
• Fry in batches (without crowding) until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes on each side.
• Drain on paper towels.
• Seasoning Mix:.
• Peel and coarsely chop onions.
• Place them with remaining ingredients in a blender or food processor fitted with the steel blade.
• Process 1 to 2 minutes, until fairly smooth. (This mixture can be spooned into a jar and refrigerated several weeks for use as needed.).

BAJAN CHICKEN

Steps:

• Combine the green onions, chiles, garlic, lime juice, parsley or cilantro, cloves and the ground pepper.
• Cut deep slits in the chicken breast then fill in with the mixture. Secure the open end with a toothpick to keep the stuffing from falling out.
• Beat the egg then combine with the soy sauce and pepper sauce.
• Lightly dust chicken with the flour, dip in the egg mixture and roll in the bread crumbs.
• Heat the oil to 375 degrees F. and fry the chicken until its golden brown for at least 3 to 4 minutes on each side.

BAKED CHICKEN BAJAN STYLE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 450 degrees. To prepare this dish properly, partly bone chicken, leaving legs and thighs attached. Bone thighs first by place them skin side down on a flat surface. Using small paring or boning knife, scrape meat away from each bone. Sever bone to separate it from leg bone. To bone legs, scrape around the bone almost but not down to the end. Using sharp, heavy knife, cut off major part of bone, leaving about one inch at end. Chop off very bottom of each leg bone.
• Leave breasts and main wing bones attached. Cut off and discard tip of each wing. Cut off and set aside second wing joints. Bone breasts but leave skin intact. Do not remove main wing bone. Use back bone for soup or discard.
• Sprinkle chicken with salt, pepper and half of oregano.
• Put oil in baking dish large enough to hold chicken in one layer when it is added. Add chicken and rub it in oil.
• Blend flour with remaining oregano, paprika, hot red pepper flakes, salt and pepper.
• Dredge each piece of chicken on all sides in flour mixture. Shake off excess.
• Return chicken pieces skin side up to baking dish.
• Place chicken in oven and bake 40 minutes without turning.