April 2011 - Jerk chicken with rice and beans

Ingredients

Chicken
4 180g chicken breasts (skin on)
4 sprigs of fresh rosemary
4 sprigs of fresh coriander

Jerk sauce
4 spring onions
Small bunch of fresh thyme
3 fresh bay leaves
Ground cloves
Ground nutmeg
Ground allspice
6 tbsp golden rum
6 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tbsp honey
1 scotch bonnet chilli
4 cloves garlic
½ onion

Rice and beans
2 spring onions
1 cinnamon stick
250g long grain rice
600ml chicken stock
400g black beans.

Method

First half the chicken breasts leaving them joined at the top of the breast. Drizzle with oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper then place in a pan skin side down and leave to cook until golden.

While the chicken is cooking, trim and roughly chop the onion and place in a liquidizer with the thyme, bay leaves, a large pinch of ground cloves, nutmeg and allspice, rum and vinegar, honey, 2 teaspoons of salt, garlic, and finally add the scotch bonnet chilli removing the seeds.

Blitz until it forms a smooth paste, adding a drizzle of olive oil if needed. Once complete pour the jerk sauce over the chicken and place on a baking tray skin side up, placing the fresh coriander and rosemary on top. Place in the oven for 15 minutes at 170°c, or until cooked through.

Finely slice the spring onions and place them in a saucepan with the cinnamon stick, oil and salt and pepper. After a minute add the rice and chicken stock, drain the beans then add them to the pan. Stir gently bringing it to the boil, then reduce to a medium heat and leave for 12 minutes. After this time the liquid should be absorbed; add any extra spice to taste and then it is ready to serve.