Jamaican Jerk Chicken
This summer we have been regularly spending all day at the park, with the kids enjoying Fun For All, a free drop-in day camp put on by our city recreation department. It’s fun for me, too, to sit and read or talk on the phone, which I don’t have much time to do usually. But, the at-home chores definitely got neglected. So, I made a recent Saturday into a Kitchen Marathon! I made banana bread (via Smitten Kitchen), Yumm sauce, froze some of our U-Pick blueberry haul, cut up two melons, and made Jamaican Jerk Chicken for dinner! It was delicious. The impetus for making it was some plantains I’d bought a few weeks before, which actually weren’t very ripe yet. Oh, well. When I make this chicken again I will serve sweet potato fries with it instead.
Jamaican Jerk seasoning:
- 1 Tbsp sweet paprika
- 1 Tbsp onion powder
- 1 Tbsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 tsp ground allspice
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp cayenne
Season boneless skinless chicken thighs with salt, pepper, and sugar (to help browning). Then sprinkle with jerk seasoning. Cook on a greased, preheated baking sheet for 24 minutes, flipping halfway through.
Slice, serve with fried plantains and salad or slaw. (Good with rice or wrapped up in tortillas.)
Coconut Rice (Makes about 4 cups cooked rice)
– 1 cup jasmine or long-grain white rice
– 5.5 oz can coconut milk (2/3 cup)
– 2 tsp sugar
– ½ tsp salt
Rinse rice in a fine-mesh strainer until water runs mostly clear. Combine with 1 cup water and coconut milk, sugar, and salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and cook 18 minutes. Stir briefly, replace cover, and let stand 10 minutes or until ready to serve.
This has become a top favorite. We make wraps, with Coconut Rice (see above), roasted yellow sweet potatoes, pickled onions, shredded cabbage, and lime. Yummy!!