Jerk Chicken

I'm so excited to make this recipe!  It's spicy!  And savory!  And involves citrus! 

"Jerk" is a traditional Jamaican blend of spices that is usually used as a dry rub or wet marinade on most commonly pork and chicken, but also other proteins.  It does involve a lot of ingredients, but most of them you probably have in a well-stocked pantry (and are all definitely available at your local grocery).  It's the unusual combination of these relatively plain-jane ingredients that really tingles the tastebuds.  I toned down the habaneros since it was the first time I made this recipe, but feel free to go crazy like these guys if you love spicy food.  As written, it was not nearly as spicy as the marinade originally led me to believe.  I hope you try this and love it as much as I do!

Good things happening in the blender...

Jerk Chicken
(4-6 servings)

:: 2-3 pounds chicken, preferably thighs and drumsticks, but breasts (sliced in half) are ok too
:: 4 large garlic cloves, chopped
:: 1 onion
:: 2 habanero chiles or 4 jalapenos, stems removed
:: 1/4 cup fresh lime juice, zest of 1 lime
:: 2 tablespoons soy sauce
:: 3 tablespoons olive oil
:: 1 1/2 tablespoons salt
:: 1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
:: 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
:: 2 teaspoons ground allspice
:: 2 teaspoons black pepper
:: 3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
:: 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Put all ingredients (except chicken!!) into a blender.  Process until smooth.  Marinate chicken for at least 4 hours, or at best, overnight and a day in the refrigerator.  Take the chicken out to room temp for an hour before cooking.

Ideally, you would maximize the awesome taste of jerk chicken by grilling it, but I am 1) working in the ICU and am too tired/lazy to grill and 2) recently gave my grill away when I moved.  Making reason #1 moot, I suppose. 

If you are grilling, put the chicken over med-high heat (where you can hold your hand over the grate for 3-4 seconds) for 3 minutes on each side, then move to low heat for an additional 25-30 minutes for thighs, less for breasts.

If you are grill-less and therefore sad like me, bake at 400 degrees in a shallow pan for 40-45 minutes.  If using breasts sliced in half length-wise, you could get away with them being done in 20-25 minutes.  If using 2 pans, alternate between upper and lower racks halfway through.  I like my skin to be brown and crispy, so turned the broiler on low and put the chicken on the top rack for a few minutes until it turned a nice color.  Don't walk away, watch it!

I served this with an asparagus and mushroom cous cous.  Yum-my!