Junkanoo Jerk-Spiced Chicken with Guava Glaze
From Ainsley’s Taste of the Bahamas, ITV
A Bahamian twist on a Caribbean favourite – jerk spiced chicken. Guavas are indigenous to the Bahamas and the fruit is a central part of the cuisine being used in both sweet and savoury dishes, including in the national dessert – guava duff. Guava jam is a local staple and I’m using it here to create a sweet and spicy glaze for my spiced chicken. If you can, add some flavoured smoke to your BBQ – pimento wood is great if you can find it or add soaked allspice berries to the coals. Serve with my creamy coleslaw and Peas N’ Rice.
Method
First, make the marinade. Place all the ingredients into a blender or food processor and blitz until smooth. Cut slashes into the breasts and legs of the spatchcocked chicken so that the marinade can penetrate the flesh and place the chicken in a shallow dish. Reserve a little marinade and the pour the rest over the chicken and rub well into the meat. Cover and chill for at least 2–3 hours, or preferably overnight.
Preheat a barbecue with a lid and take the chicken out of the fridge to come up to room temperature.
To make the glaze put the ingredients and a good pinch of salt into a small saucepan over a medium heat and bring to a boil, stirring until combined. Simmer for another 5-6 minutes and then remove from the heat. Taste and adjust for seasoning and sweetness. Keep warm.
Lightly oil the BBQ grill and add the chicken. Cook the chicken on the hot part of the barbecue for 6-8 minutes on each side and then move to indirect heat, baste with some of the remaining marinade and cook with the lid down for 25-35 minutes, turning occasionally, until the juices run clear when the thickest part of the thigh is pierced with a thin metal skewer. Baste with a little of the guava glaze for the last 10 minutes of cooking. Alternatively roast in an oven at 200C/180fan for 40-50 minutes or until cooked through. Remove the chicken from the heat and rest for 10-15 minutes.
Drizzle the chicken with guava glaze and serve with coleslaw and peas n’ rice.
TIP: if you don’t have guava jam try with apricot, quince or pineapple jam and adjust the sugar & lime to taste.
Ingredients
- 1 x 1.6-1.75kg chicken, backbone removed and spatchcocked
- For the Marinade
- 1 large onion, peeled, roughly chopped
- 6 cm fresh root ginger, peeled, roughly chopped
- 5 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
- 3 spring onions, trimmed, roughly chopped
- 1-3 scotch bonnet chillies, halved, de-seeded or not depending on preference
- 2 tbsp light olive or vegetable oil
- 2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
- 1 tbsp allspice/pimento berries, crushed or 2tsp ground allspice
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- 2 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 1 tbsp dark brown sugar
- 1 lime, juice and zest
- ½ orange, juice
- ¾ tsp sea salt & 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- For the Guava Glaze
- 250g guava jam
- 2 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 1 large clove of garlic, minced
- 2 tsp honey – adjust according to sweetness of jam/jelly
- 1-2 tsp Caribbean hot pepper sauce (optional)
- juice and zest of ½ lime