Name: Jerk Chicken (Jamaican spiced chicken)
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 55 min
Total time: 320 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Jamaican
Ingredients: 8 chicken drumsticks (about 1.2 kg in total); 2 tbsp olive oil; 1 tbsp soy sauce; 2 tbsp lime juice; 1 onion, roughly chopped; 1 tbsp fresh ginger, chopped; 1 Scotch bonnet or habanero chilli (deseed for less heat or replace with a jalapeño); 6 cloves garlic, roughly chopped; 2 tsp salt; 2 tsp black pepper; 3 tbsp brown sugar; 1.5 tsp ground cinnamon; 1.5 tsp ground allspice; 0.5 tsp nutmeg, freshly grated; 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves (or ½ tsp dried thyme); fresh coriander (to garnish, optional); 1 lime (in wedges)

Preparation

Pat the drumsticks dry and put them in a large freezer bag or bowl.
Blend all the marinade ingredients in a blender or food processor to a smooth paste. Do not touch the chilli with bare hands.
Pour the marinade over the drumsticks and massage it in well. Marinate in the fridge for at least 4 hours, better overnight.
Preheat the oven to 180 °C fan and line a baking tray with baking paper or foil; a wire rack on top gives a crust all round.
Take the drumsticks out of the bag and set them on the rack. Put the remaining marinade into a pot, bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes. This makes it safe to use as a glaze.
Brush the drumsticks with half of the marinade and bake for 25 minutes. Turn, brush with the rest and bake for another 20 to 25 minutes, until very dark and 75 °C in the centre.
Let the drumsticks rest for 5 minutes, sprinkle with coriander and serve with lime wedges.

Drink with it

Spiced rum · excellent match
Spiced rum as a highball with ginger beer, lime and lots of ice
The allspice, cinnamon and nutmeg of the marinade find their echo in the spiced rum; ice, ginger and bubbles cool rather than fan the chilli, as a neat rum would.
What is spiced rum? Pay attention to the legal designation
Pale lager · excellent match
Jamaican lager (Red Stripe style), ice cold
The slim, barely bitter lager is the standard with jerk in Jamaica: cold and carbonation wash away fat and spices without firing up the Scotch bonnet.
Pils or Helles: What's the Difference?
Aged rum · good match
Aged Jamaican rum on ice with a little water
Molasses and caramel notes suit the brown sugar and the dark crust; ice and water soften the alcohol, which would otherwise amplify the heat.
Drinking rum neat: how to get to know a bottling
Dark beer · good match
Foreign Extra Stout, cool
Roasted malt and light sweetness mirror the caramelised crust; stout is gladly drunk with it on the island.
Which beer goes with food? More than just pils with barbecue
White wine · good match
Riesling Spätlese or Gewürztraminer with residual sweetness, well chilled
Residual sugar and low alcohol absorb the chilli, and the acidity picks up the lime.
Which wine pairs with food? A simple approach to choosing

Why it pairs well

With hot food one usually reaches for beer; a spiced rum suits the spices of the marinade but is deliberately served here as a highball with lots of ice, because alcohol otherwise amplifies chilli heat.

Preparation

Pat the drumsticks dry and put them in a large freezer bag or bowl.
Blend all the marinade ingredients in a blender or food processor to a smooth paste. Do not touch the chilli with bare hands.
Pour the marinade over the drumsticks and massage it in well. Marinate in the fridge for at least 4 hours, better overnight.
Preheat the oven to 180 °C fan and line a baking tray with baking paper or foil; a wire rack on top gives a crust all round.
Take the drumsticks out of the bag and set them on the rack. Put the remaining marinade into a pot, bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes. This makes it safe to use as a glaze.
Brush the drumsticks with half of the marinade and bake for 25 minutes. Turn, brush with the rest and bake for another 20 to 25 minutes, until very dark and 75 °C in the centre.
Let the drumsticks rest for 5 minutes, sprinkle with coriander and serve with lime wedges.

Drink with it

Spiced rum · excellent match
Spiced rum as a highball with ginger beer, lime and lots of ice
The allspice, cinnamon and nutmeg of the marinade find their echo in the spiced rum; ice, ginger and bubbles cool rather than fan the chilli, as a neat rum would.
What is spiced rum? Pay attention to the legal designation
Pale lager · excellent match
Jamaican lager (Red Stripe style), ice cold
The slim, barely bitter lager is the standard with jerk in Jamaica: cold and carbonation wash away fat and spices without firing up the Scotch bonnet.
Pils or Helles: What's the Difference?
Aged rum · good match
Aged Jamaican rum on ice with a little water
Molasses and caramel notes suit the brown sugar and the dark crust; ice and water soften the alcohol, which would otherwise amplify the heat.
Drinking rum neat: how to get to know a bottling
Dark beer · good match
Foreign Extra Stout, cool
Roasted malt and light sweetness mirror the caramelised crust; stout is gladly drunk with it on the island.
Which beer goes with food? More than just pils with barbecue
White wine · good match
Riesling Spätlese or Gewürztraminer with residual sweetness, well chilled
Residual sugar and low alcohol absorb the chilli, and the acidity picks up the lime.
Which wine pairs with food? A simple approach to choosing

Why it pairs well

Jerk Chicken (Jamaican spiced chicken)

Preparation

Drink with it

Spiced rum as a highball with ginger beer, lime and lots of ice

Jamaican lager (Red Stripe style), ice cold

Aged Jamaican rum on ice with a little water

Foreign Extra Stout, cool

Riesling Spätlese or Gewürztraminer with residual sweetness, well chilled

This pairs well too.

Alsatian Flammkuchen (tarte flambée)

Beer Can Chicken (Barbecued Chicken on a Beer Can)

Butter Chicken

Carnitas (Slow-Braised Pork)

Jerk Chicken (Jamaican spiced chicken)

Preparation

Drink with it

Spiced rum as a highball with ginger beer, lime and lots of ice

Jamaican lager (Red Stripe style), ice cold

Aged Jamaican rum on ice with a little water

Foreign Extra Stout, cool

Riesling Spätlese or Gewürztraminer with residual sweetness, well chilled

This pairs well too.

Alsatian Flammkuchen (tarte flambée)

Beer Can Chicken (Barbecued Chicken on a Beer Can)

Butter Chicken

Carnitas (Slow-Braised Pork)