Jamaican Jerk Chicken With Sweet Potato Salad And Grilled Pineappe Rngs

Serves 8

The ingredients of this dish include Scotch bonnet peppers which are similar to both Jamaican reds and habanero chiles. Scotch bonnets range in color from green, to orange to bright red and are indigenous to the Caribbean, South America and the Yucatan region of Mexico. These are among the hottest peppers* on earth and extreme care should be taken when working with them. They should not be handled with bare hands, gloves are recommended, and protective eye ware is also a good idea. Never let children handle or even touch these peppers, and keep pets away from them as well. CAUTION: never touch your eyes after handling these peppers. If you do, seek emergency medical attention immediately.

For the Sweet Potato Salad:
1 Medium Sweet Potato, roasted in its shell to just done, then peeled and diced
1 Medium Yam, roasted in its shell to just done, then peeled and diced
1 Idaho Potato, peeled, diced and blanched (approximately 12 – 15 minutes)
½ European Cucumber, seeds removed and cut batonnet
½ Red onion, cut fine julienne
1 Ear Corn, shucked and roasted on the grill, then kernels removed
½ Cup Peanuts, toasted and coarsely chopped
1 TBS Dijon Mustard
1 TBS Brown Sugar
1 Garlic Clove, minced
3 TBS Fresh Lime juice
9 TBS Peanut Oil
¼ Cup Cilantro Leaves, chopped
Kosher Salt, to taste
Fresh Ground Black Pepper, to taste

1. Mix together the mustard, brown sugar, garlic and limejuice.

2. While whisking, drizzle in the peanut oil to create an emulsion.

3. Mix the potatoes, yam, onion, corn and cucumber together. Pour dressing over, add roasted peanuts and chopped cilantro and toss. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

For the Chicken:
8 large chicken breasts
Juice of 7 limes
2 Scotch bonnet peppers, stemmed and quartered
¾ Cup Water
3 TBS Peanut Oil
6 Cloves Garlic, minced
2 Medium Yellow Onions, diced
4 Bunches Green Onions, cut on bias including 3 inches of green
2 tsp Ground Allspice
½ tsp Ground Nutmeg
2 TBS Fresh Ginger, minced
5 TBS Brown Sugar
1½ TBS Fresh Thyme, leaves only no stems
1 tsp Fresh Ground Black Pepper
Kosher Salt, as needed

1. In a blender combine everything but the chicken and blend until smooth.

2. Pour over chicken, coating well, and place in refrigerator 2 – 3 hours.

3. Heat barbecue with handful of wood chips and close lid so it begins to smoke. Season the grill, and grill the chicken very slowly over medium heat. Baste with marinade and turn frequently.

4. When done, remove from heat and cover with aluminum foil.

For the Grilled Pineapple:
1 Fresh Pineapple, peeled, and sliced into ¾ inch rings
¼ Cup Brown Sugar
1½ TBS Fresh Ginger, minced finely
2 tsp Ground Cinnamon
½ tsp Ground Nutmeg
½ tsp Ground Gloves
1/3 Cup Rum

1. Mix together the brown sugar, spices and rum. Add the pineapple rings being sure to coat them well. Allow to soak for at least 1 hour.

2. Place on hot grill and cook until grill marks are charred in. Flip and do the other
sides. Keep warm until ready to serve.

To serve, put a mound of sweet potato salad on a plate; lean a chicken breast against it at an angle; put 2 pineapple rings at an angle against both the chicken and the sweet potato salad.

Larry Irons is the author of the Bizarre Chef Newsletter. To sign up, send an email to: [email protected].

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