Grilled Jerk Chicken

Total Time: 1 hr Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 40 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 8
• 3 scallions, chopped
• 4 large garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 4 -5 fresh scotch bonnet peppers or 4 -5 habanero peppers, stemmed and seeded
• 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 tablespoons salt
• 1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leave
• 2 teaspoons ground allspice
• 2 teaspoons black pepper
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 4 chicken breast halves, with skin and bones halved crosswise (3 lb)
• 2 1/2-3 lbs chicken thighs, and drumsticks

Recipe

• 1 make marinade:
• 2 blend all marinade ingredients in a blender until smooth.
• 3 marinate and grill chicken:
• 4 divide chicken pieces and marinade between 2 sealable plastic bags.
• 5 seal bags, pressing out excess air, then turn bags over several times to distribute marinade.
• 6 put bags of chicken in a shallow pan and marinate, chilled, turning once or twice, 1 day (24 hours).
• 7 let chicken stand at room temperature 1 hour before cooking.
• 8 to cook chicken using a charcoal grill:
• 9 open vents on bottom of grill and on lid. light a large chimney of charcoal briquettes (about 100) and pour them evenly over 1 side of bottom rack (you will have a double or triple layer of charcoal).
• 10 when charcoal turns grayish and you can hold your hand 5 inches above rack for 3 to 4 seconds, sear chicken in batches on lightly oiled rack over coals until well browned on all sides, about 3 minutes per batch.
• 11 move chicken as seared to side of grill with no coals underneath, then cook, covered with lid, until cooked through, 25 to 30 minutes more.
• 12 to cook chicken using a gas grill:
• 13 preheat burners on high, then adjust heat to moderate.
• 14 cook chicken until well browned on all sides, 15 to 20 minutes.
• 15 adjust heat to low and cook chicken, covered with lid, until cooked through, about 25 minutes more.
• 16 serve chicken with salsa.
• 17 cooks' note:
• 18 • if you can't grill, you can roast chicken in 2 large shallow (1-inch-deep) baking pans in upper and lower thirds of a 400°f oven, switching position of pans halfway through roasting, 40 to 45 minutes total.
• 19 **cook time does not include marinating the chicken for 24 hours.