Jerk chicken with rice & peas

Method12 steps

1. 1

   Step 1: Wash and trim the big marinade bunch of spring onions (1 big bunch) and roughly chop it. Peel and roughly chop the thumb-sized ginger piece, the three marinade garlic cloves and the half small onion. Wearing gloves, stem and roughly chop the three Scotch Bonnet chillies, removing seeds if less heat is wanted. Juice the separate marinade lime. Put all these prepared marinade ingredients in a food processor with the dried thyme (½ tsp), soy sauce (2 tbsp), vegetable oil (2 tbsp), measured brown sugar (3 tbsp), marinade ground allspice (1 tbsp) and one teaspoon marinade salt, and blend to a thick purée.

   Uses 1 big bunch spring onions for jerk marinade · 3 garlic cloves for marinade · ½ small onion for marinade · 3 Scotch Bonnet chillies for marinade · ½ tsp dried thyme for marinade · Juice of 1 separate lime for marinade · 2 tbsp soy sauce for marinade · 2 tbsp vegetable oil for marinade

2. 2

   Step 2: If the marinade is slow to blend, switch the processor off before scraping down and stirring, then blend again until it forms a thick paste. Keep this marinade thick without adding water.

   Uses All the actual fresh blended marinade

3. 3

   Step 3: Before the marinade touches raw chicken, taste it with a clean spoon. It should be well seasoned and spicy. Add a little of the separate extra chopped Scotch Bonnet only if more heat is wanted, then blend it in.

   Uses All the actual fresh marinade · Extra Scotch Bonnet chilli only if the unmixed-with-chicken marinade needs more heat

4. 4

   Step 4: Still before any raw chicken contact, add a little of the separate extra brown sugar only if the fresh marinade tastes too salty or sour, then stir or blend until balanced.

   Uses All the actual adjusted fresh marinade · A little extra brown sugar only if the fresh marinade tastes too salty or sour

5. 5

   Step 5: Make a few slashes in each of the twelve raw bone-in chicken thighs without washing the raw meat. Rub all the actual finished marinade over the chicken and into the slashes. Cover and marinate overnight in the refrigerator. Wash hands and utensils after handling raw chicken; do not taste the marinade after raw contact.

   Uses 12 raw bone-in chicken thighs · All the actual final fresh marinade

6. 6

   Step 6: The next day, heat the oven to 180°C / 160°C fan / gas 4. Wash and halve the whole roasting lime (1), keeping it separate from the lime juice already incorporated into the chicken marinade. Set out a roasting tin large enough for all twelve thighs.

   Uses 1 whole lime for roasting, halved in step 6

7. 7

   Step 7: Open both cans of already-cooked kidney beans (2 cans) and drain away their can liquid. Keep the actual drained cooked beans ready to add after the rice’s first cooking stage.

   Uses 2 cans already-cooked kidney beans, each labelled 410 g, drained in step 7

8. 8

   Step 8: Put all the actual overnight-marinated thighs and their clinging marinade in the roasting tin with both roasting-lime halves. Roast at 180°C / 160°C fan for about forty-five minutes until tender and fully cooked. Check each thigh reaches 74°C / 165°F in its thickest flesh away from the bone, continuing to roast as necessary. Keep the actual cooked thighs and roasted lime halves for serving.

   Roast marinated bone-in thighs to 74°C · 45 minUses All twelve actual marinated thighs with their clinging marinade · Both halves of the actual roasting lime

9. 9

   Step 9: While the chicken roasts, rinse all the dry basmati rice (200 g) in plenty of cold rinsing water and drain. Wash and slice the separate rice bunch of spring onions, wash both fresh thyme sprigs (2 large), and peel and finely chop the two separate rice garlic cloves. Put all the actual rinsed rice, full 400 g can of coconut milk, prepared rice spring onions, thyme sprigs, garlic and the one teaspoon rice ground allspice into a large saucepan.

   Uses 200 g dry basmati rice · 1 can coconut milk labelled 400 g · 1 separate bunch spring onions for rice · 2 large fresh thyme sprigs for rice · 2 separate garlic cloves for rice · 1 tsp ground allspice for rice · Cold water for rinsing rice, drained away before cooking

10. 10

    Step 10: Season the assembled rice with its separate rice salt to taste and add all 300 ml measured cold cooking water. Set over high heat and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to medium heat, fit the lid and cook covered at a steady simmer for ten minutes.

    Cook coconut basmati rice covered for ten minutes · 10 minUses All the actual assembled rice pot · 300 ml cold water for rice cooking · Salt for rice seasoning, to taste

11. 11

    Step 11: Stir all the actual drained already-cooked kidney beans into the hot rice. Cover and leave off the heat for five minutes until the liquid is absorbed. Check the rice is tender, fluff gently and remove both woody thyme sprigs and any loose tough stems.

    Rest coconut rice and cooked beans covered off heat · 5 minUses The actual hot cooked rice pot · All the actual drained cooked beans from both cans

12. 12

    Step 12: Squeeze the actual roasted lime halves over the actual fully cooked chicken. Serve the twelve thighs as six portions with the actual finished coconut rice and kidney beans, adding optional hot sauce only if desired.

    Uses All actual cooked thighs and both actual roasted lime halves · All finished cooked rice and beans · Hot sauce to serve, if desired