Chef Tells Cayman Jerk Chicken Recipes

CHEF TELL'S CAYMAN JERK CHICKEN

Steps:

• Combine all ingredients in Food processor and mix thoroughly.
• Rub the chicken with oil then sprinkle with salt & pepper.
• Next, generously coat chicken with Jerk Spice and grill until done (approx. 45 minutes to an hour).
• Serve over Cayman Style Chow-Chow.

CAYMANIAN-STYLE JERK CHICKEN

Steps:

• In a food processor, place the seasoning and Scotch bonnet peppers, garlic and scallions and process until chunky. Add the ground allspice, brown sugar, thyme, allspice berries, cinnamon and nutmeg, then process. Add the juice, olive oil, soy sauce, black pepper and 1 tablespoon salt and process until a thick paste is formed, clingy enough to stick to the back of a spoon. (If it's too thick, thin with more soy sauce.)
• Scrape half of the paste into a large shallow dish with a lid. Add the chicken and top with the remaining paste. Spread the paste, making sure each piece of chicken gets a little attention. Cover and marinate in the fridge overnight, up to 24 hours.
• Prepare the grill with one hot and one unheated side. This works best on a charcoal grill or a gas grill with one burner turned off.
• Oil the grill grates liberally with the vegetable oil. Place the chicken skin-side up on the cool side of the grill and close the lid.
• Grill, rotating the pieces every 10 minutes to ensure even exposure to the hot side of the grill, until the breasts register 165 degrees F and the thighs register 170 degrees F, 40 to 45 minutes for the breasts and 30 to 35 minutes for the thighs. Move the chicken to the hot side of the grill, flip it skin-side down, and grill until the skin is charred and crispy, 6 to 8 minutes.
• Serve immediately with some good ol' white bread (or classic hard dough bread, if you can find it!) from the bag and ketchup to dunk it.

CHEF TELL'S CAYMAN CHOW-CHOW

Steps:

• In a sauté pan heat oil olive and sauté all ingredients until almost tender.
• Place on large platter and serve under Jerk Chicken. (Can be served on the side also.).

JERK CHICKEN

Steps:

• For the brine: Add the salt, sugar, allspice, chile, garlic, ginger and 1 quart water to a large pot and stir to combine. Place over medium-high heat, bring to a boil and cook until the salt and sugar have dissolved, about 5 minutes.
• Pour the brine over the ice in a large bowl and let cool to room temperature. Add the chicken to the brine, cover and refrigerate for 24 hours.
• For the jerk paste marinade: Stir together the soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, tamarind paste, scallions, thyme, minced garlic, minced ginger, allspice, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, cloves, bay leaves and chiles in a medium bowl. Reserve 5 tablespoons for the Jerk BBQ Sauce and set aside.
• Remove the chicken from the brine; discard the brine. Pat the chicken dry, then toss to coat with the jerk paste marinade, slightly massaging it into the chicken. Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours.
• For the jerk BBQ sauce: Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat until shimmering. Add the onions, garlic, ginger and the reserved 5 tablespoons of Jerk Paste Marinade and simmer until the onions are translucent, 5 to 8 minutes. Add the ketchup and brown sugar and summer over low heat until the sauce is deep red and caramelized, about 30 minutes. Remove the sauce from the heat and transfer to a blender. Blend until smooth and set aside.
• To cook the chicken: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Heat a well-seasoned cast-iron grill pan over medium heat until very hot, about 10 minutes, then add some oil to the pan. Working in batches, remove the chicken from marinade (reserve the marinade), place the chicken on the grill pan skin-side down and cook until well charred, flipping them halfway through, about 10 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a rimmed baking sheet and drizzle with the reserved marinade. Continue with the remaining chicken. Transfer the baking sheet the oven and cook until the chicken is tender but not falling off the bone, about 45 minutes. Turn the broiler on for the last minutes and broil until the skin crisps.
• Remove the chicken from the oven, brush it with some of the Jerk BBQ Sauce and let it rest 10 to 15 minutes. Serve with the remaining Jerk BBQ Sauce on the side.