Jerk chicken with rice and peas

So how did you enjoy Father's Day?  I went to work then came home and cooked dinner for ten.  Okay so I did the hard work the day before but hey, aren't we all entitled to a little whinge?
Everyone from the Caribbean has a favourite recipe for both components of this popular meal but I'm from Swindon which is a lot further East and this is the one I use.  My wife's father is from St Vincent and had never had jerk chicken until I cooked it for him.
There are two ways to prepare jerk meats, either on the grill or in the oven like here.  The advantage of doing it in the oven is that you can do a bigger meal all in one go.  Many recipes use chicken breast but I prefer the moistness and taste of chicken thighs.  Use whatever you prefer.  You can use this marinade on the grill too but you might like to use chicken with the skin on.  This is so simple there is really no reason other than convenience to buy jerk seasoning.

JERK CHICKEN

 

• Allow at least three chicken thighs per person
• 225g/8oz onions, peeled and quartered
• 1-1.5 scotch bonnet or other chillies according to taste, halved and deseeded
• 50g/2oz root ginger, peeled and chopped
• 1/2 tsp Allspice
• thyme
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 120ml/4 fl oz white wine vinegar
• 120ml/4 fl oz soy sauce

Put all the ingredients into a food processor and blend until it is as smooth as you can get it
Place your chicken in a large shallow dish, pour over the marinade and cover
Refrigerate overnight
Next day you can either cook it on your barbecue or place the tray in the oven at 190C/375F/Gas 5 for at least an hour.  When I had my workmates to lunch one of them was half an hour late and this didn't spoil because of the amount of moisture in it.  On Father's Day I doubled the amount and cooked a tray of 25 pieces of chicken.

RICE AND PEAS

 

 

This rice and peas recipe is so moist that it goes perfectly with the jerk chicken which doesn't produce a sauce.  Once again I just doubled it on Father's Day and it would easily have fed a dozen people.  The coconut milk produces a creamy texture without adding flavour which is good as dad in law doesn't like coconut.  This is an absorption method so stick to the quantities stated.

 

• 4 tbsp. olive oil (I use garlic flavoured) 
• I onion, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
• 200g/8oz long grained rice
• 400g tin of kidney beans
• 400g tin of black eye peas
• 500ml/1 pint of vegetable stock
• 200ml/7 fl oz coconut milk

 

Heat the oil in a large pan then fry the onion for five minutes.

Add the garlic and then the rice, cook for another minute, stirring

Add the beans and pour in the stock and coconut milk and season well

Bring to the boil, cover, then cook on very low for 25 - 30 minutes till the rice is just cooked

Give it a good stir and serve.  I could eat this on its own it is so good.