Oven jerk chicken

Tamara West

Spicy Jamaican the midweek way.

Ingredients

2	Spring onions, finely chopped
1 ½ small	Chillies, finely chopped (use more/less to suit taste)
½ Tbsp	Fresh thyme, leaves picked from stalks
1 Tbsp	Soy sauce
1	Lime, juice of
½ Tbsp	Soft brown sugar
½ Tbsp	Allspice, ground
½ Tbsp	Freshly ground black pepper
½ tsp	Ground cinnamon
¼ tsp	Ground nutmeg
8	Chicken thighs, on the bone, skin on (Main)

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients except chicken. Rub marinade over the chicken thighs, inserting a little under the skin as well. Cover and set aside for 20 minutes to marinate. The chicken will taste even better if you marinate overnight and leave in the refrigerator or even prepare in the morning. Remember to bring chicken back to room temperature before roasting, about 20 minutes.
2. When you are ready to cook the chicken, heat the oven to 180C. Line a roasting dish with baking paper to prevent sticking and place chicken in the dish.
3. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes or until juices run clear.
4. Heat a char grill over a high heat. Brush with oil then place on the roasted chicken and grill until dark and crisp.
5. Serve jerk chicken with roasted golden kumara pieces and a fresh salsa made from chopped tomatoes, cucumber, red onion and lime juice. Fresh mango or pineapple salsas are great too.

Kathy recommends

• True Jamaican jerk must be barbecued - traditionally done by slow roasting the meat at a low temperature for a few hours over a fire using allspice branches, which give off a sweet and spicy smoke flavour. I find roasting the chicken in the oven and then grilling works well.
• For this recipe you could use whole legs or 4 chicken thighs and 4 chicken drumsticks, and serve with dishes that are high in starch and acid to help temper the hot spice.
• Allspice is a must and I will leave it up to you to add chilli to your taste. Remember as a general rule, the smaller the chilli the hotter it is.