Firstly my apologies to anyone reading this that makes a fabulous jerk! I’ve been lucky enough to have had authentic home cooked jerk and also eaten it in some great restaurants. This is my no means a family recipe that has been handed down through the generations but it is very good, very authentic and so easy. Well it’s a cheats jerk!!! Just as importantly it’s not for the faint hearted, it is hot! But I think it’s a great discovery and perfect if your short of time and want a really tasty dinner on the table without too much effort, actually no effort! 

I’ve followed lots of jerk recipes over the years and some have been good, some I used more than once! This I’ve already used twice in as many weeks at my families request! … It all happened whilst shopping in waitrose and I was looking for something else and saw this jar of jerk seasoning, it’s not often I buy ready made sauces, having said that some of the Thai curry pastes are great! This however will always have a place in my larder! Whenever I have made my own I have always had to adjust the heat and take it up a notch, this one you defiantly don’t need to do anything with! Just unscrew the lid, put your chicken in a freezer bag tip in the contents of the jar squidge it around so it’s fully coated seal the bag and pop it in your fridge to marinate until you are ready to cook it. This really couldn’t be easier. 

I sometimes use skin on bone in chicken thighs, wings work well or the last time I spatchcocked a couple of chickens, to give you an idea I put the chickens in separate bags and used a jar in each. Remember when cooking a spatchcock chicken it takes less time, so ensure you cook it the usual way. I’m not going to tell you how to cook a chicken!!!! I basted it a couple of times and that’s it, it’s that easy!! Because it’s so full of flavour I cooked a simple coconut basmati rice with kidney beans which I will include how I cooked it, it’s how I always cook basmati rice and it always works for me. I know cooking rice can send some people into a panic, it used to me, until I found this method that I’ve now been using for years. All I’ve done is change it to make coconut rice but the method is almost the same.
This dinner is great served with pan fried plantain and peanut butter sauce but you really don’t have to do this. I serve it with Greek yogurt for the cool down element and we like avocado. I don’t want you scared to try this thinking it’s way to hot, give it ago! You may have to trust me on this it’s really delicious, so much so that I really can’t see me making my own in the to near distant future!! 

The chicken part really isn’t a recipe as I mentioned it’s just opening a jar and using the chicken you prefer. Remember if you have someone who only eats chicken breast then spatchcock would be perfect it gives everyone what they want! 

My rice recipe is just a simple guide and a very basic recipe. I’ll list what you will need but you’ll have to adjust the amounts according to how many you are feeding. To give you an idea I used 3 mugs of rice, 3 of coconut milk, 3 of water for six adults. My family are all grown up and big eaters!! If I followed portion advice for rice or pasta they would wonder what had happened to the rest of the meal!! Ok so I’ve waffled enough! …..

You will need:

• Chicken of choice either pieces or whole
• Jar/jars of Tropical Sun Jamaican Jerk seasoning ( see photo )
• Freezer bag/bags for marinating (a couple of hours is fine)
• Roasting tray, big enough for your chicken

For the Rice & peas: 

• Basmati rice measured out and rinsed, see below
• Tin of kidney beans rinsed and drained
• Pinch of salt
• Tin of coconut milk, again depending on how much rice you are cooking, it’s double the liquid to the rice.
• Saucepan with a lid, big enough for your rice

Sides:

• Spring onions, chopped to sprinkle over at the end
• Lime wedges to serve
• Greek yogurt to serve
• Avocado optional

These are the basic rice measurements and you can then adjust, 1 mug of rice, 1 mug of water, 1 mug of coconut milk. ( 2 to 1 ratio )
Bring the water and coconut milk to a boil in your sauce pan then add the rinsed rice and a pinch of salt, turn heat down, Stir, put on the lid and cook on a med heat for 7 mins. Keeping the lid on, remove from the heat and let it sit for another 7 mins. When the time is up fluff up with a fork and stir through the rinsed kidney beans. You can then stir through some of the chopped spring onion reserving some for the finished plated dish. Ensure you use a fork!!!!!

Serve with yogurt, avocado and lime wedges.

I do hope I haven’t scared you off with telling you it’s hot, if you don’t like hot and spicy then I’m guessing jerk isn’t something you would try, but if you like it then I think you’ll find this authentic enough to use it again! I’m looking forward to cooking this on the BBQ, nice cold glass of wine, few beers, homemade coleslaw would be good, perfect to feed a crowd! Oops sorry getting carried away!!! ….

Enjoy and as always if you try it let me know, I love to hear from you!

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