For me Sunday is all about vinyl. I have a lovely collection of old-school records, so the day begins with a room filled with incredible vibrations and sultry sounds.
I like to cook long and slow, e.g. have an oven day. This may mean I begin with some confit garlic. With a hot yawn, in goes a prepped focaccia - loaded with lots of olives, herbs, olive oil and of course confit garlic. I then use it throughout the week. Then something sweet, dependent on what I've pulled from the garden or foraged from the community. If there's space, I like to pop a plant-based chilli con carne in there nice and early to bubble away until thick and syrupy.
Why have you chosen to share this dish?
For me, food is emotional. You smell it in preparation and it evokes memories. You see it and you want a plate, you eat it and you're transported to another place and time.
When I was a girl, my mother would begin the process of making the rice dish early. Back in the day, the 70s, there was no such thing as tinned beans. Everything was dry and needed to be soaked overnight, then simmered into life.
So she would begin the process on Saturday night, soaking the beans. In the morning, the simmering would begin and at this point, the fragrance of the broth would meander up the stairs and raise me from my bed. So delicious.
This dish is a typical Sunday dinner for every Jamaican family. Food from my DNA, I can cook without even thinking. To know it's perfect by the smell is what I love and wanted to share.
I have to say, though, back in the day, the cucumber salad would be dressed with a couple of spoonfuls of "salad cream" from a jar, which I never enjoyed because it was so sweet. So as soon as I could I pimped up that plate. Enjoy.
Photo / George Heard
Jerk chicken with coconut cucumber salad
Marinade 70g spring onion, peeled & chopped (about 6) 2 Tbsp brown sugar ½ scotch bonnet pepper, deseeded, finely chopped 3 garlic cloves, roughly chopped 1 Tbsp thyme leaves (fresh) 2 Tbsp allspice, ground ¼ tsp cinnamon, ground 2 tsp salt 1 tsp black pepper, ground 1 lemon, zest only
Chicken 8 chicken thighs, skin on, boneless Drizzle olive oil 250ml hot chicken stock 250ml coconut cream Fresh thyme leaves
Rice and peas 1 cup water 1 clove garlic, crushed ½ tsp freshly grated black pepper 2 long sprigs fresh thyme 1 cup tinned black beans, drained and rinsed 425g tin coconut cream 2 cups basmati rice Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Coconut cucumber salad ⅓ cup coconut cream ⅓ cup coconut yoghurt 1 lemon, juice on 1 telegraph cucumber ½ red onion, sliced 1 chilli, deseeded, finely diced
1. To make the marinade: Pop ingredients except the lemon zest in a food processor and blitz to a coarse paste. Stir in the lemon zest.
2. To make the chicken: Place the thighs in a resealable plastic bag, with 4 Tbsp marinade, massage well into the thighs, seal the bag, and pop in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
3. Pour the oil into a non-stick frying pan and when hot, gently fry the thighs until golden, remove from the pan and set aside.
4. Add a heaped tablespoon of the marinade. Fry off for 1–2 minutes until sticking to the bottom of the pan. Pour in the stock. Stir until combined.
5. Simmer for 5 minutes. Pour in the coconut cream and stir. Pop the chicken into the sauce with any juices. Cook for a further 10 minutes or until the chicken is cooked.
6. To make the rice and peas: Place water, garlic, pepper, thyme, black beans and coconut cream in a saucepan. Stir and place on medium heat.
7. Simmer for 10 minutes until the broth is fragrant and a gorgeous pink colour. Taste and season. In a separate bowl, wash your rice until the water runs clear. Drain thoroughly.
8. Increase the heat under your broth and slowly add the rice, stirring from the bottom of the saucepan until all combined. Reduce the heat and cover the pan. Cook for a further 15 minutes or until you can easily crush a grain of rice between your fingers.
9. Turn off the heat and leave to steam until ready to serve.
10. To make the coconut slaw: Spoon both the coconut cream and yoghurt into your serving bowl. Add the lemon, whisk together taste and season.
11. Thinly slice your cucumber (don't forget to wash it first). Add to the dressing and toss until covered. Sprinkle over the red onion and chill. To serve I like to add a drizzle of fresh pesto, but this salad is just as divine without.
