jerk chicken with lemon cilantro rice and mango salsa
A dish built around survival and strive for freedom, Jamaican jerk chicken is an important part of the culture not just because of its fusion of flavors but its fusion of cultures. Jerk marinades star ingredients are thyme, allspice and scotch bonnet &/ habanero peppers, giving it an intense mouthwatering flavor profile. This recipe doesn’t only cover the jerk marinade, but also the sides bringing Caribbean flavors straight to your kitchen!
History of Jerk Chicken
Let’s get back to how this dish fused two cultures together! Prior to colonization Jamaica was occupied by indigenious Taino, who were forced to escape to the Blue Mountains to avoid enslavement and disease once the Spanish arrived. This community is where the traditional cooking method for jerk meat came from - the Taino were believed to rub meat with salt and slow cooking it over an open wood fire. The next but most crucial part for jerk started in the early 16th century when slave plantations existed across Jamaica. The escaped slaves would flee in the Blue Mountains where they would encounter the Taino and adopt their cooking methods to survive, but add their own spin to it with spicy marinades. This community would eventually be known as the Jamaican Maroons. To make this dish even more mouthwatering, the Jamaican Maroons would traditionally cook the meat over indigenous pimento (allspice) wood.
How to make jerk chicken with lemon cilantro rice and mango salsa?
Now back to why you are here - the recipe! First, wash the chicken pieces with lime juice or white wine vinegar. This will help tenderize the chicken even more. Make the jerk marinade by blending 1/3 cup soy sauce, 2 tbsp brown sugar, 2 tbsp fresh thyme, 2 tsp all spice, 1 tsp harissa, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 tsp ground cloves, 1/2 tsp Chinese five spice, 2 garlic cloves, 1 1/2” peeled ginger, 1/3 cup green onions, freshly grated nutmeg, juice and zest from 1 lime, and 6-8 cored habanero or scotch bonnet peppers until the consistency is smooth with some chunks. Pat the chicken dry and place in a large bowl or ziplock bag and pour the marinade over it. Toss the chicken pieces in the marinade until completely coated, then refrigerate overnight. Once the chicken is ready to cook preheat oven to 350 and make the mango salsa. In a large bowl toss together 4 chopped mangoes, 1/2 red onion, 1/2 bunch cilantro, 1 jalapeño, lime zest and juice, minced garlic, and avocado. Season with salt and pepper, then refrigerate. Heat coconut oil on a pan. Brown the chicken pieces and place them on a large baking dish or arrange them on the hot pan used to brown them. Then bake for 40-55 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 165f. Meanwhile place 2 cups white rice and 3 cups of chicken broth in a pot and bring to boil. Lower the temperature to low and add chopped jalapeño, 2 cloves minced garlic and 1/2 tsp pepper flakes. Cook for 18 minutes until done, then remove from heat and stir in the chopped 1/2 bunch cilantro, green onion, lemon zest and juice. Season with salt and pepper. Plate the rice, jerk chicken and mango salsa. Serve immediately.
Tips
Let the chicken marinate for at least 12 hours. The acids in the marinade don’t only add flavor but also tenderize the meat.
For more authentic flavor use scotch bonnet peppers if available in your area.
This recipe is even better if the chicken is cooked on a BBQ grill instead of baking!
When picking mangoes make sure they are ripe - the skin should give in a little when pressed lightly, and depending on the variety the color should be orange, red or rosy. If the mango is overripe it will feel mushy, under ripe mango will feel firm.
Wash your rice until the water runs clear. Unwashed rice has residual starch that causes the rice to clump together and creates a sticky overall texture when cooked.
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