jerk sauce

Ten jars (and other jar-like containers) to stock: #1 Walkerswood Jamaican Jerk Seasoning

So what is it with the bad boys?

The ones who tease and make you tingle only to burn you again and again. You know what’s coming and you go back for more. And even when you don’t, you think about it. In the case of both chicken wings and men, jerk is addicting. It’s the complicated, turn-you-every-which-way-and-then-back-again heat. The kind that gets under your skin and makes the rest of the world seem bland and boring. Hard to shake once you’ve had a taste.

Luckily I got over the wry smile man-boys in college. When I met my husband I learned that heat could comfort as well as burn, that it could bring things alive instead of scorch everything in its path. Call it a Serrano chili kind of love.

But in the kitchen, I can still be a sucker for abuse.

jerk chicken with potatoes and sweet potatoes

If I could only have three seasoning mixes in my pantry, a jar of Walkerswood Jamaican Jerk Seasoning would be one of them. I go for the full test "hot and spicy" version, although I think there is a mild as well. All of it is hot, and complex and little mind bending. It is also really, really easy to make. Try and make enough for leftovers. It tastes even better the next day, and that is when you will start itching for it, no matter how much you were suffering the night before.

I usually just make chicken, but last night I needed to stretch the meal, so I added a few potatoes and a sweet potato to the pan. They were so good, that I might just skip the chicken next time and make it as a veggie side dish.

Here is a quick and easy recipe.

(In Albany, you can buy Walkerswood at Sabah Market on Central, at Roy's Restaurant on Henry Johnson Blvd. or at the Caribbean grocery on Robin, the name is escaping me at the moment.)

Jerk Chicken with Potatoes and Sweet Potatoes

Ingredients

1-3 tablespoons Walkerswood Jamaican Jerk Seasoning
1 whole chicken*, cut up and skinned except the wings
(I have the butcher cut the chicken into 8 pieces, and then I halve the pieces again at home, but this isn’t necessary.)

½ cup of white vinegar for washing the chicken


• For health reasons I use a whole, skinned chicken. Dark meat tastes better, though. So for pure taste, make legs and thighs, or really go for it and just make the wings. Just substitute the wings (about 12, cut in two pieces) for the chicken pieces. If you like them really crispy, cook the potatoes in a separate pan and pour off the juice halfway through when you stir them.

Instructions

Preheat oven to 300

Put the chicken pieces in a large mixing bowl and fill with water. Rub the chicken and rinse once or twice. Fill bowl with water again, add the vinegar, and allow chicken to soak for 20 minutes. Rinse again.

(You can skip this step if you are out of time, but if you do, add a few capfuls of the vinegar to the sauce when you put it on the chicken.)

Peel the potatoes and the sweet potato and cut them into 1-inch chunks.

Toss the chicken and potatoes with the paste until they are well coated. My friend Shontell says that her mom insists that you get in there and massage the sauce into the chicken with your fingers. Her mom’s chicken is amazing, so who am I to argue?

Spread the chicken and potatoes out in a shallow baking pan. Make sue they are in one layer and a little spread out if possible.

Put in the oven and bake uncovered for 1.5 to 2 hours, until potatoes are soft and chicken is very tender. Stir once or twice to make sure it cooks evenly. If you like it crispier, pour the juice off halfway through.

posted December 17, 2007 | link | comments (1)

filed under: Ingredients, Lists, Recipes, albany, jerk chicken, Roy's Caribbean Restaurant, sabah market, sweet potatoes, Walkerswood Jerk Seasoning

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Comments

Thanks for the tip on Walkerswood. I'll check it out, mon, I really like this Winston's Hot Sauce. I order it by the case here. It's the lower bottle after the link. It'll make your eye sockets sweat after about 5 min of eating it, but you'll not be able to stop.

- by Alex on Dec 18, 2007 at 8:50 PM | link

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