My first taste of jerk chicken was at the Nottinghill Carnival in 2010. The smoke from the BBQ’s filling the streets, the music and the dancing. The atmosphere was loud, colourful and wonderful. The chicken was on the bone, slightly charred with a firm kick of chilli. I will never forget the lady who served me. She was a gorgeous large Caribbean lady with a broad bosom and an even broader smile. I asked for one piece of chicken and she yelled over her shoulder for the cook to get ”this lil’ one your biggest piece of chicken, she will definitely need it.”
My second memory of jerk chicken was at Splore festival with my Canadian. Sitting in the bar area with ciders, the jerk chicken was being cooked on amazing barrel bbq’s behind the bar. The flavour filled smoke would waft in to the bar area, making your belly rumble and your taste buds cry out. We ate so many pieces of chicken, sitting at Tapapakanga beach over those three days.
Lately we’ve had our charcoal barrel barbecue out on the deck, for those long lazy spring days. I’m learning to adjust my cooking to suit fire and charcoal, and I am also learning how to maintain a fire. It’s a wonderful experience going back to basics, cooking over fire. The smoke infuses the chicken, leading a beautiful deep flavour to the fragrant, spiced meal. However cooking times are approximate so plan to cook this leisurely. For this reason, jerk chicken is a weekend meal, best served with salsa on the side and beautiful friends.
Ingredients
- 2 litres water
- 8 tbsp salt
- 1 x whole free range chicken
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled
- 2 cm fresh ginger, peeled
- 4 x hot chillis
- 1 red onion, chopped
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 2 tbsp dark rum
- Large handful of fresh thyme
- 2 tbsp ground allspice
- 1 tsp dried nutmeg
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ cup apple cider vinegar
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed lime juice
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/2 orange
Instructions
In a jug, whisk together the water and salt. Submerge the chicken for 2 hours in the brine. This is to keep the chicken from drying out on the barbecue. Remove the chicken from the brine and pat dry. Put the rest of the ingredients, except the orange, into a blender and blitz until mostly smooth. Cover the chicken all over with the marinade, rubbing it inside and out. Keep half a cup of the marinade aside for basting the chicken. Leave to marinate for a couple of hours, or ideally overnight.
Heat your barbecue to 160 degrees. Put the chicken on a tray over the indirect heat, and dot with little pieces of butter. Cook for two hours until slightly charred, basting a couple of times throughout. Check the chicken is cooked completely through, and then remove from the barbecue. Rest for 5 minutes and then carve for serving.
