Caribbean Jerk Chicken
The inspiration behind this post was, unfortunately, nothing more than the fact that a pack of 4/5 chicken drumsticks costs only £1 at Sainsburys... can't say no! So I picked up two packs, went on a hunt for some jerk paste/marinade and off I went. Super easy, and even more tasty! You will need:Chicken drumsticks or thighsJerk paste RiceBacon SweetcornOnionRed PepperSalad to serveObviously you can make your own jerk seasoning if you have the time or inclination... I had neither. I picked up a jar of the stuff for just over a pound - lovely!
Start off by seasoning your chicken. Smother over your paste/marinade and leave the chicken to absorb the flavours for as long as possible in the fridge - overnight is ideal, but a couple of hours would be fine. Heat a tablespoon of oil in a pan and put in your chicken. Cook for a few minutes on each side, until the skin becomes crispy.
Take your chicken out of the pan (don't wash up the frying pan just yet though!) and put into a baking tray. Bake in the oven at 180C for about 25 minutes - this depends on size and cut of chicken however, so check the pack instructions before!
For the rice, cook your rice as normal. I used basmati just because it's what we had in the flat, but long grain is more authentic.
In the pan you cooked the chicken in, fry off half an onion, a few rashers of diced bacon, a diced red pepper and lastly a handful of sweetcorn. This means all the flavours from the jerk chicken will go into the rice mixture. When the rice is cooked, mix in the fried mixture.
Check your chicken is cooked through before serving by putting in a knife and check it runs clear. You don't want pink meat!Serve with the rice, and a side salad. We just had some chopped tomatoes and cucumber. Corn on the cob would be a good'un too! Depending on what jerk seasoning you use, and how much, the chicken can have a kick to it, so serve with a dollop of crème fraiche to cool.
