I'm a huge fan of Afro-Caribbean food, especially the spicy dishes that make your tongue tingle and your cheeks flush pink. So, of course, Jamaican jerk chicken ranks high on my list of favorites. The heat in traditional Jamaican jerk seasoning comes from Scotch bonnet peppers, which are one of the hottest peppers on the planet. I'm talking light-your-mouth-on-fire screaming hot. My kids like heavily seasoned food so I knew that they would enjoy most of the spices used in jerk seasoning but their tender palates can't handle Scotch bonnets so I created a kid-friendly chicken dish that is inspired by the bold, aromatic spices of traditional jerk chicken but leaves out most of the heat. A jalapeno pepper steps in for the Scotch bonnet so that you still taste a glimmer of heat but your head doesn't feel like it's going to explode. I also skipped over the traditional ingredients of rum and molasses because the chicken would taste too sweet without the spiciness of the Scotch bonnets for balance. Serve with white rice and wash down with Red Stripe for the adults, lemonade for the kids.
NOT QUITE JERK CHICKEN
printer friendly recipe
4 pounds bone-in chicken pieces
1 red bell pepper, cut into large pieces
5 scallions, sliced into 3 inch long pieces
10 garlic cloves, smashed
2 limes, quartered
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 jalapeno pepper
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Place chicken pieces in single layer in a large roasting pan.
Nestle the pepper pieces, scallions and garlic among the chicken pieces.
For a mild hot pepper flavor, halve the jalapeno and discard the seeds and ribs. Mince finely and add to the pan. If you like more heat, don't remove the seeds and ribs.
Sprinkle with the soy sauce and olive oil. Squeeze the limes over the chicken and add the squeezed pieces to the pan.
Mix together the ginger, allspice, salt, pepper and thyme in a small bowl. Sprinkle evenly over the chicken pieces.
Bake the chicken for 1 hour, or until the juices run clear when a piece is pricked with a knife. If the skin hasn't become crisp, turn the broiler to high and broil for a few minutes until crispy.
Serves 4-6.
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