Jamaican Jerk Chicken With Mango Salsa

Jamaican Jerk Chicken with Mango Salsa

Adapted from Jamie’s Big Feastivals and an endless number of other recipes

There’s one thing you need to be careful with and that is handling the scotch bonnet peppers. I’m not joking. You must wear gloves and makes sure not to rub your eyes or touch your lips. It’s not going to be funny, I learned the hard way. Also, I’ve found out that removing the seeds and most of the ribs from the peppers reduces dramatically the heat, which is my personal preference. But if you enjoy a firestorm, go with the whole thing, stay with it, it’s your pain after all.

Ingredients

Serves 4

Chicken

1 tablespoon ground allspice

1 tablespoon ground black pepper

2 tablespoons raw organic honey

1 tablespoon fresh parsley, roughly chopped

1 tablespoon cilantro, roughly chopped

1 (or 2) scotch bonnet peppers, deseeded and de-ribbed

1 clove of garlic

1-inch / 3 cm piece fresh ginger, peeled

2 scallions, trimmed

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 free-range organic chicken thighs, skin on

4 free-range organic chicken drumsticks, skin on

1 pair of rubber gloves

juice of two limes

Mango salsa

1 ripe mango, peeled and cubed

½ cucumber, seeded and diced

1 scallion, chopped

¼ cup cilantro, finely chopped

juice of one lime

Directions

In a blender combine allspice, black pepper, honey, parsley, cilantro, scotch bonnet pepper(s), garlic, ginger, scallions and olive oil. Blend until pureed and smooth.

In a shallow sealable container or in a large Ziplock bag, Pour the marinade over the chicken and massage it in (wear the rubber gloves!).

Marinate in the fridge at least 1 to 2 hours (overnight for fullest flavor).

Heat a grill (or a grill pan) over medium heat; place the chicken, skin-side down and cook for 40 to 50 minutes, turning often, or until the chicken is golden and cooked through.

It's nice to add a handful of allspice berries to the coals for some extra flavor in the smoke or to drizzle over a little beer near the end of cooking for extra stickiness.

You can also cook the chicken in the oven at 400°F (200°C) for 25 to 30 minutes, turning occasionally. Turn on the broiler for the last 5 minutes to get all lovely and charred.

In the meantime make the mango salsa by combining all ingredients in a medium bowl and mixing well.

When the chicken is cooked drizzle with fresh lime juice and serve with mango salsa.