Jerk Chicken with Plantain Chips & Salad

I've done a couple different variations of this recipe at home now and still haven't gotten it perfected but it's still awesome and a really quick and easy way to get some Caribbean flavors in your belly.  This version isn't too hot even though it has two habaneros because de-seeding them takes out most of the heat.  So if you like a hotter meal, only de-seed one of the peppers or if you like nuclear heat, don't de-seed at all.

I served this with a simple fresh salad and some fried plantain chips on the side to try and stick to the Caribbean theme but when I went to make my mango salad I discovered that my mango was no good and so I substituted an apple and a fresh tomato that I had making it decidedly less Caribbean but still pretty tasty.

To go with this recipe I went for some Lagwagon, Falling Apart, since they are one of our favorites in this house and we have yet to feature them in a post.  Shocking!  Not sure how they slipped under our radar but no longer will they escape this blog!

 

Jerk Chicken
Time: Marinade - 15 minutes, Chicken - 25 minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Servings: 8+

• 2 habanero peppers, stemmed and seeded
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 medium yellow onion, about 1 cup
• 1/2 cup chopped scallion
• 1 tbsp fresh grated ginger 
• 1 tsp fresh thyme
• 1 tbsp dark brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp fresh ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp fresh ground nutmeg
• 1 pinch ground cloves
• 3/4 tsp ground allspice
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
• 4 cloves garlic
• juice of 3 limes
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro

Now, the marinade part is simple.  Throw all of the above in a blender or food processor and let her rip till at all blends into a smooth homogenous mixture, a couple of minutes ought to do.  When everything is all chopped, blended, liquified, and incorporated, simply toss your chicken in a container with the mix and let it marinade for at least overnight, but the longer you let it go, the better it gets.  I usually let it sit for 24 hours.  Anything over 48 hrs is not going to do much for you.

Note: If you are only making enough to serve 2-3 people, halve the marinade recipe as this easily makes enough to cover 8+ pieces of chicken.

When you are ready to do up the chicken you have a couple of options.  Tradition dictates that the chicken be cooked in a halved oil drum over hard wood charcoal but any grill would do as I know no one who grills in a halved oil drum outside of the Caribbean.  However, we simply baked ours off in the oven, since it wasn't grilling weather and I wanted jerk chicken.  450 for 30 minutes will do if you are doing legs and thighs and if you want some of that charred grilled quality to it, toss under the broiler for a few minutes after baking.

Fresh Salad

• 1 fresh tomato
• 1 apple
• 1/2 yellow onion, diced
• 1/2 cup yellow bell pepper, diced
• 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
• juice of 1/2 lime
• salt & pepper to taste

The salad is everything listed above, just tossed together and served on the side.  It's a light, refreshing accompaniment to the spicy, savory chicken and the starchy, salty plantain chips.


Plantain chips are also easy if you'd like to try those.  Get a hold of a couple of plantains at the market and slice the skins off since they don't peel very easily.  I follow the edges of the peel, they have 3, with the tip of a paring knife and then take off the ends.  After that treatment they peel fairly easily.  Slice them into 2 inch thick rounds and fry them in oil for about 2 minutes.  Remove from the oil and drain them.  Smash the rounds flat using the bottom of a coffee mug or something equally wide and hard.  Fry them again in the oil for another 2 minutes, remove and drain.  Salt liberally and serve.

Whiskey Marinated Stuffed Chicken Breast; Whiskey & Smoked Gouda Cheese Sauce

Here's the thing about this recipe - you can go all out and do the whole thing: marinated chicken, whiskey caramelized onions and mushrooms, whiskey cheese sauce, and it'll take a few hours, but be well worth it!  Or... you can only go half ass and make it quick!  You could just marinate the chicken and bake it, easy enough.  You could make the onions and mushrooms to stuff in the chicken breast, and pass on the cheese sauce.  Or throw the whiskey onions and mushrooms on a burger.  You could just make the cheese sauce to go on some veggies, or nachos, or pasta or whatever you want to put cheese sauce on.  I'm trying to say it's versatile!  And only as complicated as you want to make it.  But it was smokey and rich... delicious.

I could see this being good with a variety of whiskeys.  I used Jameson, because that's what we like to drink.  Jack would be good.  Use whatever you like to drink... and I highly suggest shots while cooking. 

So tunes to go with it... some SoCal punk we were just introduced to and really enjoying - The Sparring.  Check out their Facebook page for tour dates, news and new music!  But first... enjoy their video for "Straitjacket".  -jen

WHISKEY MARINATED STUFFED CHICKEN BREAST
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Marinade Time:  2-3 hours
Difficulty: Easy
Yields:  3/4 cup, enough for 4-6 chicken breasts

• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 2 tablespoons whiskey
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice (about 1 lemon's worth)
• 1-2 teaspoons minced garlic, depending on taste (we love garlic)
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon minced ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
• a few good cranks of fresh cracked black pepper
• 4-6 chicken breasts
• 2 cups Whiskey Caramelized Onions And Mushrooms (see recipe below)
• 2 cups shredded Smoked Gouda cheese

Whisk all ingredients together.  Butterfly chicken breasts and place one at a time in a Ziploc bag and using a mallet or bottom of a sauce pan, pound the chicken out to 1/4" thick.  Then place all the butterflied breasts into the Ziploc and add the marinade.  Refrigerate for 2-3 hours.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil (for quick clean up) and coat foil with non-stick cooking spray.   Lay the butterflied chicken breasts open on the foil and on one half of the breast, sprinkle a layer of smoked Gouda.  Top with a big mound (about 1/2 a cup) of the caramelized onions and mushrooms, then sprinkle another layer of Gouda on top.  Fold the breast the other half over the stuffing like a taco.  Bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes, or until chicken has reached 265 degrees.  Cooking time is going to vary depending on size of chicken breasts.  (We use a leave-in thermometer, they're awesome.)

WHISKEY CARAMELIZED ONIONS AND MUSHROOMS
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 30-40 minutes
Difficulty:  Easy
Yields:  about 4 cups

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 large onions, julienned
• 16oz of sliced crimini mushrooms
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon minced ginger
• 3 shots of whiskey

Heat butter and olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  When hot, add onions and mushrooms, Worcestershire, brown sugar and pepper flakes.  Toss to coat, then let cook for about 10 minutes, stirring once or twice.  When onions start browning, turn heat to low and add garlic, ginger and whiskey.  Let cook an additional 20 minutes or until all liquid has evaporated and onions have caramelized, stirring occasionally.  Remove from heat. 

(If you're going to make the cheese sauce below, you can remove the caramelized onions and mushrooms and just use the same skillet - no need to even rinse it out.  That's flavour!)

WHISKEY AND SMOKED GOUDA CHEESE SAUCE
Time:  15 minutes
Difficulty:  Easy
Yields:  about 2 cups

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 1 and 1/2 shots whiskey (divided)
• 1 pint (2 cups) heavy cream
• 1 cup chopped Caramelized Onions and Mushrooms (optional)
• dash of cayenne pepper, depending on taste
• 1.5 cups shredded smoked Gouda cheese
• salt and pepper

In a skillet or sauce pan, melt butter over medium-high heat.  Add flour and whisk for 3-5 minutes.  Whisk in 1/2 a shot of whiskey and heavy cream.  Add Caramelized Onions and Mushrooms (if you choose to) and cayenne.  Continue stirring until sauce begins to thicken.  Once thickened, turn off heat and stir in shredded cheese, one handful at a time, until melted.  Stir in 1 shot of whiskey.  Add salt and pepper to taste if needed.

Asian Salad Dressing & Marinade

Asian Dressing with Chinese Chicken Salad

For years now, when we've wanted an Asian dressing, we've just thrown some crap together.  Some have been good, some have been not-so-good, but we never wrote down what we did.  So a little while ago, I decided I was going to get myself a solid recipe that I could make that would be consistently awesome every time.  Bam!  Here it is!  I love this dressing!  We use it for all kinds of things: green leaf salads with some cucumber, shredded carrot, green onions and cashews; marinade for chicken or pork (but only marinate it for a few hours or the vinegar and lime juice will "cook" the meat and make it kind of mealy); sometimes we'll toss some veggies like broccoli, onions, bell peppers and zucchini with it and then roast them; made a Thai-style 4-bean salad with it.  Very diverse.  Very yummy.

I was in an Elvis mood the other day (because I love Elvis)... but then I remembered U.S. Bombs' "Rocks in Memphis" and had to listen to it again.  You think Lisa Marie has even heard this song?  -jen

ASIAN SALAD DRESSING AND MARINADE
Time:  all of like... 5 minutes, maybe, if you measure slowly
Difficulty:  Easy
Makes:  1.5 cups

• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon fish sauce
• 2 tablespoons hoisen
• 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
• juice and zest of 1 lime
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 tablespoon hot mustard (or any mustard)
• dash of sriracha (or more, if you want it spicy)
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon chopped ginger
• 1 cup canola (or vegetable) oil

Combine all ingredients together in a blender and blend for a few seconds!  You can store this in your refrigerator for a few weeks at least.  It should emulsify pretty well, so there shouldn't be much separation.  Just give it a quick shake before use!