Jerk Chicken with Rice and Peas (Festive Caribbean Table)

Jerk chicken

• 6 Spring onion
• 4 cloves Garlic
• 1 Habanero pepper
• 6 sprigs Fresh thyme
• 2 tsp Allspice
• 1 tsp Ground ginger
• 2 tbsp Brown sugar
• 2 tbsp Dark soy sauce
• 1 Lime
• 1 tbsp Olive oil
• 1 ½ tsp Fine sea salt
• ½ tsp Black pepper
• 8 Chicken thighs, bone-in, skin-on

Rice and peas

• 300 g Long-grain white rice
• 400 ml Coconut milk
• 250 ml Water
• 240 g Red kidney beans, cooked and drained
• ¾ tsp Fine sea salt

1. Trim and roughly chop the spring onions, peel the garlic, and remove the stalk from the habanero. Strip the thyme leaves from the sprigs (you will use the leaves for the marinade).
2. In a blender, combine the spring onion, garlic, habanero, thyme leaves, allspice, ground ginger, brown sugar, dark soy sauce, the zest and juice of the lime, olive oil, fine sea salt, and black pepper. Blend to a thick paste, scraping down as needed.
3. Put the chicken thighs in a bowl and rub the jerk paste all over, getting some under the skin where you can. Cover and marinate in the fridge for at least 1 hour, or up to overnight for deeper flavour.
4. Heat the oven to 200°C (390°F). Arrange the chicken thighs skin-side up in a roasting pan, leaving a little space between pieces.
5. Roast for 40 to 50 minutes, basting once or twice with the pan juices, until the skin is lacquered and the chicken is cooked through. If the paste starts to catch, loosely cover with foil for the last 10 minutes.
6. While the chicken roasts, rinse the long-grain white rice in a colander until the water runs mostly clear. Tip into a saucepan with the coconut milk, water, fine sea salt, and red kidney beans, then bring to a gentle boil.
7. Cover, turn the heat to low, and simmer for 15 minutes. Take off the heat and leave covered for 10 minutes, then fluff with a fork.
8. Rest the chicken for 10 minutes before serving. Spoon the rice and peas alongside and drizzle a little of the roasting juices over the chicken if you like.

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