When I was younger, I used to have this dish quite often. My best friends mum was Jamaican and she would make this whenever I came over for dinner. It was the most delicious food ever. Of course the traditional recipe uses quite a bit of oil for the chicken and a full tin of coconut milk (the non light stuff) for the rice. So I have adapted it slightly to make it slimming world friendly, but it is still yummy.

For the Jamaican Jerk Chicken

serves 4-5 people (Just half ingredients if cooking for less)
Ingredients

3 1/2 lb chicken portions, thigh and breast (you can use a whole chicken cut up into pieces if you prefer) (skin and fat removed)
6 sliced scotch bonnet peppers (jalapenos may be used if scotch bonnet peppers are unavailable)
2 Tbsp. thyme
2 Tbsp. ground allspice
8 Cloves garlic, finely chopped
3 Medium onions, finely chopped
2 Tbsp. sweetener
2 Tbsp. salt
2 Tsp. ground black pepper
1 to 2 Tsp of the following (to taste)
-ground cinnamon
-nutmeg
-ginger
1/2 cup soy sauce
Juice of one lime
Juice of one orange
3/4 cup of water
1 cup white vinegar

Method

Chop the onions, garlic and peppers.
Add the onions, garlic and peppers to a blender, along with all other ingredients apart from the chicken.
Blend to make the marinade
Rub the marinade into the chicken and save some for basting and dipping later.
Leave the chicken in the fridge to marinade overnight
Bake in the oven on 200c or 400f for 20 mins each side, under the chicken is cooked through or if you prefer you can grill the meat turning occasionally.
Baste regularly with some of the remaining marinade while cooking

For the Rice and Peas

Serves 4-5 people (just half ingredients if cooking for less)
8 syns for entire recipe (will be 4 syns for entire recipe, if halfing recipe)

Ingredients

3 cups of rice
1 can of tinned kidney beans
5 cloves of garlic (finely chopped)
1 uncut scotch bonnet pepper (1 jalapeno pepper may be used as a substitute)
3 spring onions
240ml of light coconut milk
1 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of black pepper
2 sprigs of fresh thyme (2 teaspoons of dried thyme may be used as a substitute)

Method

Crush the garlic and add to seven cups of boiling water in a saucepan
Add the kidney beans
Add your coconut milk, rice, salt, black pepper and thyme to the mix.
Crush the scallion (do not chop) and add this.
Also add the uncut scotch bonnet pepper, NOTE – the pepper remains uncut so as to not make the rice spicy, just give it a subtle peppery flavour.
Cover and simmer over a low heat for approx 30-40misn (try not to stir in between, let the steam cook the rice, but keep an eye on it, to make sure it doesnt absorb all the liquid and dry out completely).

Serve the Jamaican Jerk Chicken with the Rice and Peas and a mixed salad of lettuce, cucumber and tomatoes.

Filed under: chicken, main course, rice