2010 Jerk Chicken Cook-Off

Brockwell Park
London
SE24 9AE

I found out about the Jerk Chicken Cook-Off from Food Stories who has already written up a great review of this year's event. South London friends were quickly rounded up to join us so we could try as many versions of jerk chicken as possible.

I headed straight for Tasty Jerk, the winner of the last two cook-offs, and got a plate of jerk chicken along with a splodge of incredibly fiery chili sauce on the side. The chicken was moist, smoky and full of spices - and utterly addictive. It made me proud of my own version of jerk chicken - I think I've managed to do a decent job of making it at home.

K ordered some jerk fish which came over rice and peas with a scoop of coleslaw on top. The fish was fantastic as well - I thought jerk spices might overpower fish but that is not the case. Her fish flaked right off the bones and K was happy to give me the fish head to gnaw on.

We tried jerk chicken from several other places but I gave Tasty Jerk my personal award for best chicken. Unfortunately I was too full to try the entire animal they were roasting (I think it was lamb) but that just means that we'll have to go back next year for more...

Jerk Chicken and Rice and Peas

We had planned an evening of tiki cocktails with M and J to use some of the lovely rum they gave me for my birthday. While we were thinking about Caribbean drinks, I decided to be adventurous and try my hand at Caribbean cooking. I live pretty close to Ridley Road market which is great for picking up all the things you need to make Caribbean food - I will be going back much more frequently since it is so much cheaper than the supermarkets!

Update: Tried this recipe again with some tweaks (included below) on some more friends, including J & A who know their Caribbean food, and it went over well!

Jerk Chicken

Adapted from Food Stories

Ingredients

1.5 tablespoons ground mixed spice (I used Tropical Sun brand)
100g dark molasses brown sugar
4 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon thyme leaves (dried or fresh)
1 bunch spring onions (about 6)
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
4 scotch bonnet chillies, deseeded
Juice of 1 large lime
1 tsp salt
Chicken pieces (I used 10 thighs, bone-in)

Method

Blend all the marinade ingredients together in a food processor and smother over the chicken, rubbing it in well. I used gloves for this and for deseeding the scotch bonnets. Refrigerate overnight (or for four days, as I did - the flavor really just gets better over time).

BBQ the chicken if you are so lucky to have a BBQ, or cook in the oven on a baking tray at 190C for 30-40 minutes, or until the skin is crisp and the juices run clear.

If you are using shrimp, then marinate the shrimp in the jerk paste overnight and then thread shrimp onto skewers. BBQ or grill in the oven until just done (it's very quick, probably only about 5 minutes).

I added an extra scotch bonnet the second time around (which is included in the 4 scotch bonnets in the recipe above) - it was still a pretty mild heat so I think one or two more chillies won't hurt. The mix of heat and sweetness is addictive though - fantastic recipe (thanks to Food Stories!)

Rice and Peas

Adapted from Eat Jamaican

Ingredients

3 cups white rice

1 small red onion

1 can of pigeon peas (gunga beans)

1 can of coconut milk
1 tsp salt

water

Method

Finely dice red onion and add to rice cooker. Add rice and salt. Drain the can of pigeon peas into a measuring cup and then top up with the can of coconut milk and water to make 4.5 cups of liquid. Pour liquid into rice cooker and add drained pigeon peas and give everything a good stir. Use normal setting on rice cooker to cook. 

Strutton Ground Street Market

Now that I've started working around the corner from this street market, expect a few more posts as I try my way through the stalls! First stop was the Caribbean stall where I got a curry mutton lunch with rice and peas. There were whole scotch bonnets floating around in there so you know it's properly spicy. This was wonderfully savory and spicy, with a heat that built up gently and left my mouth tingling for a good 20 minutes after finishing. It was a bit too much food for lunch (I know, I almost never say that!), so I unfortunately had to throw away some of it. In the contest between this place and Peppers and Spice, I think this curry mutton just edges out the competition - it seemed a bit more complex to me. So I expect I will be back to try their rotating lunch menu - jerk chicken or ackee and saltfish next?

Peppers and Spice

40 Balls Pond Rd
London 

N1 4AU

After reading some pretty good reviews of this Caribbean takeaway that is close by, I decided to try it out for dinner. Our first trip was on a Monday night, when we ordered jerk chicken, rice and peas, potato salad, mac and cheese, and a beef pattie. Unfortunately, the chicken was dry, and mac and cheese was a bit glutinous, and the potato salad was unremarkable. The beef pattie was good, with a spicy and flavorful filling, and the rice and peas were tasty as well, but that's not a very good hit rate for a meal. Thankfully, we gave it another chance on a Friday night with some friends, and it was like eating at a different restaurant. This time the jerk chicken was spicier and more moist, and we also tried a lot of other dishes - curry mutton, curry chicken, and oxtail stew. One thing to be cautious about is the amount of bones in these dishes, but they were packed with savory sauces that the rice and peas soaked up. A side order of saltfish was a bit strange - very tough to eat and I don't think I'd get it again. The collard greens were great, though the other salads (pasta, potato and cole slaw) were reminiscent of Costco preprepared foods. I think I'd stick to the main meals here, especially the jerk chicken and curries, and avoid going on a Monday.