May 16, 2007
EXCEPT THAT THERE ARE SOME PERFECTLY ADEQUATE JARRED JERK SAUCES:
GRILLED JAMAICAN JERK CHICKEN (The Associated Press, 5/16/07)
1 tablespoon ground allspice
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 large pickled jalapeno pepper, minced
¼ cup white wine vinegar
1½ tablespoons light brown sugar
1½ tablespoons olive oil
1¼ teaspoons black pepper
¾ teaspoon salt
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (5 ounces each)
8 scallions
2 large red bell peppers, seeded and cut into 32 chunks
24 canned pineapple chunks (about 1½ cups)Combine allspice, garlic, ginger, jalapeno, vinegar, brown sugar, oil, black pepper and salt in large bowl. Measure out 2 tablespoons of mixture and set aside. Add chicken to mixture remaining in bowl and turn to coat on all sides. Refrigerate for 1 hour. (Don’t leave chicken longer than 1 hour, or ginger and vinegar will start to break down the chicken’s fiber.)
Trim scallions, leaving just a small portion of tender green. Cut each scallion into 3 pieces.
Preheat grill to medium. On each of 8 long skewers, alternately thread 3 pieces of scallion, 4 pieces of bell pepper and 3 pieces of pineapple.
Lift chicken from marinade and place chicken on grill. Brush reserved 2 tablespoons spice mixture over skewers and place on grill. Grill, turning chicken and skewers once, until chicken is cooked through and vegetables are crisp-tender, 5 to 10 minutes for the skewers, 10 to 15 minutes for the chicken.
Depending on what's your grilling, I always recommending against combining different food on the same skewer. I generally "de-skewer" and arrange food on a platter, which is also helpful if people want more or less of an item. Granted, it looks more attractive mixed on a skewer but there can be significant differences in cooking times.
And OJ is correct in that there are some decent bottled sauces out there.
Posted by: Rick T. at May 16, 2007 12:05 PMTrue. And this particular recipe is conspicuously mild. Where are the habanero/scotch bonnets?
Unfortunately, fat Gestapo cookbooks are obligated to call for chicken breast when boneless, skinless thigh tastes WAY bigger here. Plus, they'll stand up to longer marinating time and they're more forgiving on the grill.
Posted by: JR at May 16, 2007 12:18 PM