Chef Curtis’ Roast Chicken Caribe

Our Chef Curtis is from Jamaica, and he wrote the recipe for our Chicken Caribe based on Jamaican Jerk Chicken. We tone down the hot pepper so all of our clients can enjoy this dish, but feel free to add the heat at home. This is an all-time favorite on the God’s Love menu all year round, but we thought our community might enjoy it as a way to celebrate Black History Month this February.

Serves 4

Ingredients:
4 Split Chicken breasts, bone-in

For marinade:
½ lb. scallions, sliced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 bulb garlic, approximately 12-15 cloves, peeled, chopped
1 cup fresh thyme, picked, or ¼ cup dried thyme leaves
4 Tablespoons ground ginger
4 Tablespoons ground allspice
3 Tablespoons cinnamon
⅓ cup honey
¼ cup vegetable oil
¼ cup soy sauce

Method:

1. To prepare marinade, combine all ingredients into a food processor or blender. Puree ingredients until the marinade is the consistency of a thick pesto.
2. Place chicken breasts in a large Ziplock bag. Add the marinade, coating the chicken well. Squeeze out excess air from the bag. Chicken should be left in the marinade at a minimum of overnight, and up to two days.
3. To roast the chicken, remove from marinade and arrange pieces on a baking pan. Roast in a 375-degree oven for approximately 20-25 minutes and the chicken’s internal temperature is 165 degrees.
4. Serve with rice and side vegetables or salad.

Notes:

• Scotch bonnet peppers are traditionally used to add heat. You can adjust spiciness by adding fresh peppers or scotch bonnet hot sauce to the marinade. Warning: start a little at a time and wear gloves when handling!
• This marinade is excellent with pork. Chops, tenderloins, or boneless shoulder. Which leads us to…
• Grilling is the traditional way to cook meats with this marinade. The smoke and direct heat of a BBQ grill really makes this marinade sing!