Chicken, pork, and fish all can be cooked in the unique Jamaican style known as ΓÇ£jerk.ΓÇ¥ The cornerstone of all jerk dishes is a vinegary, intensely hot paste of dried herbs and habanero peppers, which are some five times hotter than jalape├▒os. If you cannot find these peppers, a habanero-based hot sauce makes a good substitute. You can cook the chicken immediately or marinate it, covered and refrigerated, for up to 12 hours. Before beginning, please read About Chicken and Turkey Cooked on an Outdoor Grill.
Puree in a food processor or blender:
1/3 cup fresh lime juice
10 fresh habanero peppers or fresh Scotch bonnet peppers or 1/4 cup habanero-based hot sauce
2 tablespoons white vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
3 scallions, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons dried basil
2 tablespoons dried thyme
2 tablespoons yellow mustard seeds or 1 tablespoon dry mustard
2 teaspoons ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
The mixture should have the consistency of thick tomato sauce. If needed, thin with additional:
Lime juice, vinegar, or orange juice
Rinse and pat dry, then brush this mixture over:
8 whole chicken legs, or 8 bone-in chicken breast halves (with skin)
Prepare a medium-hot charcoal fire. When the coals are covered with white ash, push them over to one side of the grill. Replace the grill rack. Arrange the chicken pieces skin side down opposite the coals. Cover the grill and cook for 20 minutes. Turn the chicken and cook until the meat is opaque throughout and pulls away from the bone, 30 to 60 minutes more, depending on the size of the chicken parts and the temperature of the fire.
