serves
8
prep
30 minutes
cook
3:30 hours
difficulty
Easy
serves
8
people
preparation
30
minutes
cooking
3:30
hours
difficulty
Easy
level
Ingredients
- 16 chicken leg quarters (or 3.5 kg pork shoulder)
- 3 tbsp whole allspice berries
- 2 tsp whole cloves
- 2 tsp black peppercorns
- 1 bunch of spring onions (scallions), washed and roughly chopped
- 3–4 scotch bonnet chillies, depending on taste
- 2 tbsp ginger, finely chopped
- 4–6 garlic cloves, peeled
- ½ bunch of thyme
- 1 tbsp soft brown sugar
- 2 tbsp salt
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 125 ml (½ cup) dark rum
Jerk sauce (optional)
- 3 tbsp jerk spice
- 500 ml (2 cups) chicken stock
- 1 tbsp tomato paste (concentrated purée)
You will need to marinate your meat 24 - 48 hours prior to cooking
Your cooking time will depend on whether you use chicken or pork. See below.
Instructions
Grind the allspice, cloves and peppercorns in a coffee mill or spice blender until you have a fine powder. Add the ground spices, the spring onion, chillies, ginger, garlic, thyme, sugar, salt and oil to a food processor and purée. Add the rum a little at a time to form a paste. If you’re making the jerk sauce recipe as well, set aside 3 tablespoons of this paste.
If you’re preparing chicken, rub the marinade under the skin as well as on top. If you’re using pork, score the pork skin with a sharp knife and salt the shoulder well before rubbing on the jerk spice.
Rub the spice mix onto the meat and leave to marinate, covered, in the refrigerator for 24 to 48 hours before using. (Marinate the pork for 48 hours and the chicken for 24.)
Remember to wash your hands thoroughly after rubbing on the marinade!
If you’re cooking in an offset smoker over medium heat, the chicken will take around 1 hour 40 minutes. Alternatively, grill on a hot barbecue for 5 minutes each side and then finish in a 170°C oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until cooked through.
If you’re cooking pork in a smoker over medium heat it will take around 2–3 hours. Alternatively, grill on a barbecue for 5 minutes each side and then finish in a 170°C oven for 3.5 hours or until cooked through.
To make the jerk sauce, combine all ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Serve with the meat and .
Recipe from Food Safari Fire by Maeve O'Meara (Hardie Grant, hbk, $55). Photography by Toufic Charabati.
Cook's Notes
Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.
