Description
Inspired by the version served in the cafeterias in the Houses of Parliament, this delicious Jerk Chicken recipe is served with red beans and rice and finished with a rich, creamy gravy. Don’t be put off by the long ingredient list and method – it’s a really easy recipe that takes just 1 hour to make!
Ingredients
Scale
For the Jerk Chicken
- 2 chicken leg pieces
- 3 tbsp jerk seasoning
- 1 tbsp desiccated coconut
- 1 tsp dark brown sugar
- olive oil spray (I like this one from Good Phats)
- sliced spring onions, to serve
- sliced red chillies, to serve
For the Gravy
- 1/2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 small brown onion, finely chopped and divided in two
- 135ml double cream
- 2 tsp soy sauce
For the Red Beans & Rice
- 1/2 tbsp olive oil
- 100g white basmati rice
- 1/4 tsp flaky sea salt
- small sprig fresh thyme
- 1/2 small jar red kidney beans (approx. 100g drained weight), rinsed
- 2 tbsp coconut milk
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 180c. Stir together the jerk seasoning, coconut and brown sugar, and set aside.
- Line a baking dish large enough to sit the two chicken legs snugly with foil. Add the chicken, and rub all over with the spice mix. Don’t worry you’ll have slightly too much, just nestle it under the chicken, which you want to end up skin-side up. Place another layer of foil over the top, and fold to seal the edges so the chicken is in a nice packet. Roast for 20 minutes.
- Remove the foil from the chicken and turn the heat up to 200C. Spray the tops of the chicken with a light mist of olive oil, and return uncovered to the oven for 25 minutes.
- To make the sauce, heat 1/2 tbsp of oil in a saucepan set over a medium heat. Add 1/2 the chopped onion and cook for 4-5 minutes until soft. Add the double cream, soy sauce and 75ml water. Turn the heat down to low and allow to simmer and thicken, stirring occasionally whilst you make the rice.
- For the rice, in a small, lidded saucepan warm another 1/2 tbsp of oil over a medium heat and again soften the onion. Meanwhile rinse the rice under the cold tap until the run-off water runs mostly clear.
- Stir in the rice, along with 1/4 tsp of flaky sea salt and the thyme sprig. Add 225ml of cold water and turn the heat up to high. Allow the rice to cook until the water level reaches the top of the rice. Then turn the heat down as low as it will go and put on the lid. Cook for a further 8 minutes, then remove from the heat. Keep the lid on for another 5 minutes before removing it, taking out the thyme sprigs, and folding in the kidney beans and the coconut milk.
- Remove the chicken from the oven, and remove the pieces from the lined dish. Pick up the foil and use it to pour the cooking juices into the gravy, giving it a good scrape. Stir everything together.
- To serve, divide the rice between two warm plates and top with the chicken and gravy. Finish each plate with a scattering of sliced spring onions and chillies.
Notes
To use this recipe to make jerk pork, choose thick pork steaks with a little fat on them, but not too much. You want fat for flavour rather than a fat cap (the thick layer of pork you find on chops). Otherwise, you won’t need to change the recipe as the cooking times should be about the same.