Jerk Chicken

Total Time: 45 mins Preparation Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 35 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 8
• 3 fresh scotch bonnet peppers or 3 habanero peppers
• 6 scallions, coarsely chopped
• 3 shallots, quartered
• 3 cloves garlic, smashed
• 1 inch fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
• 3 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
• 2 teaspoons ground allspice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 8 whole chicken legs, thighs and drumsticks separated

Recipe

• 1 discard stems, seeds, and ribs from 2 chiles and coarsely chop.
• 2 coarsely chop remaining chile including seeds (for a less spicy dish, seed half of chile before chopping).
• 3 blend chiles with remaining ingredients except chicken in a food processor until a paste forms.
• 4 cut several 1-inch-long slits in each piece of chicken, then rub paste all over chicken, rubbing it into slits.
• 5 marinate, covered and chilled, at least 2 hours or up to 1 day (longer is better for flavour).
• 6 to cook chicken on charcoal kettle grill: when charcoal turns grayish (15 to 20 minutes from lighting) and you can hold your hand 5 inches about top rack for 3 to 4 seconds, grill chicken, skin sides down first, on portion of lightly oiled grill rack with no coals underneath, turning occasionally, until cooked through, 20 to 30 minutes.
• 7 to cook chicken using indirect heat on gas grill: preheat all burners on high (until thermostat registers 500°f).
• 8 turn off 1 burner and reduce heat on other burner (or burners) to medium.
• 9 (thermostat should register 350 to 375°f.) grill chicken, skin sides down first, on portion of lightly oiled grill rack over unlit burner, covered, turning occasionally, until cooked through, 20 to 30 minutes.
• 10 if you aren't able to grill, you can roast jerk chicken, skin sides up, in 2 large shallow flameproof baking pans (1 inch deep) in upper and lower thirds of a preheated 450°f oven, switching position of pans halfway through roasting, until cooked through, 25 to 30 minutes.
• 11 then turn on broiler and broil chicken, about 4 inches from heat, until skin is browned and crisp, 2 to 3 minutes.