Jerk chicken is one of the most popular dishes in Jamaica - the word ‘jerk’ refers to a style of cooking, where protein is seasoned in lots of spices and slow-cooked over a fire or grill.
A jerk marinade is the perfect way to bring a burst of flavour to your BBQ or dinner. It’s a sticky, sweet, and spicy flavouring for meat - usually chicken.
But you can also use it to flavour vegan alternatives if you want. It’s delicious but easy once you know how, making it the ultimate way to impress your friends.
Serve it with some rice and peas and a bit of slaw for the perfect Caribbean-inspired dinner.
Everyone’s jerk marinade recipe is a little bit different so don’t be afraid to add your own personal twist, or change things up a little bit if you haven’t got all the ingredients.
Method
Roughly chop your fresh ingredients.
Throw it all into a blender and fill up to the top of the ingredients with water.
Whizz for a couple of minutes or until it’s a nice smooth consistency.
Add your dry herbs and spices to the mix and stir
Rub over chicken or your chosen food to marinate and leave for at least 3 hours so the flavours really get to work. We like to leave our chicken for 24 hours overnight in the fridge.
Cook your dish however you prefer – BBQ is best for delicious smoky flavours but if you're giving this a go during the winter months your dish will still be full of flavour baked in the oven or grilled
Fresh Roti
Ingredients
120g of self-raising flour
70ml warm water
2 tbsp oil
1 tsp salt
Method
Simply add the salt and oil to the flour and then gradually add the warm water, mixing as you go. You might not need all the water, you're looking for the dough to stick together so you can knead it, so not be too wet and sticky!
Once the mixture forms a ball, tip it out onto a floured surface and knead it for 5 minutes.
Let the dough stand for 30 mins if you can.
Divide the dough into 4 - 6 smaller balls and roll each out using a rolling pin. Get them as thin as you can but don't worry about them being perfectly round!!!!
To cook them, simply fry one at a time in a non-stick pan, preheated with a tiny bit of oil. We like to char ours on our jerk pit grills - you can get the same effect from a BBQ, so maybe something to try in the summer!
