h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

hi, just wanted to know what exactly is jerk chicken? is a chicken who is getting a bit uppity or what?
if so, i know a couple of jerk's.

xx

I have no idea as to the teperament of the chickens that go into making jerk (or jerked) chicken. Jerk refers to a cajun/west indies way of preparing chiken and thats all I can tell you for deinite because after thet it is all a matter for comjecture.

Some people include garlic in their jerk seasoning and some say that to do so is surely the wqork of the devil. Some cook it like a caserole and some cook it BBQ style.

The recipe I was taught goes like this:

SOME CHICKEN, on the bone then score the skin to let favour in, off the bone cut into inch square chunks.

SOME ONIONS roughly choppede about equal volume to the chicken.

HERBS AND SPICES black pepper is pretty much essential be liberal with this, but after that add curry powder, turmeric, chopped corriander, parsley, paprika, cayene pepper to your hearts delight and salt to your hearts demise.

TOMATO, these can be fresh canned or my favourite Tommy K. If yoiur using tomato put in enough so that you cover the entire mixture of onions and chicken. If your using tomato sauce(my favourite) then use enough tm make the herbs and spices into a paste that sticks to the outside of the chicken quite thickly all over.

Leave to stand in the fridge over night and remember to cover or your milk will tatse like jerk chicken.

CHICKEN STOCK OR CHICKE GRVY GRANUELS this should just cover the whole mixture in the caserole dish obviously you need more or less depending on what kind of tomato you used.

Cook for two hours at gas mark 2 serve with rice and red beans.

i shall give this one a go. my freezer is full of chicken as morrisons were doing a few deals on b1g1f chicken thigh, legs, drumsticks etc.
xx

sounds mmmmmmm. i may have to try it too

I think you might be able to start a "jerk" fanclub soon

(yes, I didn't know what it was either before reading this)

I have to say, this doesn't sound much like the jerk chicken that I know and love.

Jerk is a Jamaican method of seasoning and preparing food, not only chicken, but beef and seafood as well. It consists of a spice mixture, generally containing green onions, scotch bonnet chilli peppers, lemon juice, nutmeg and thyme. It is rubbed well into the surface of the meat before chargrilling or baking (BBQ is ideal). Generally served without sauce, with rice.

B

it may be an adaptation. 'Jerk' seasoning may have evolved, or, more than likely, got ripped off by some American capitalist

Aye - probably. I'm sure my recipe is the authentic one. Badger's recipe sounds to me like a pretty bog-standard casserole. 'Curry powder', indeed!

**stalks off in professional haughtiness**



B

I have to go with Master B on this one. The jerk seasoning I know and use is just a course seasoning and not a sauce.

Its chopped up scotch bonnets (peppers), and a whole assortment of herbs . . .

Simillar to bajan seasoning (which is not as hot).

Now I'm tempted to write an article on caribbean foods/seasoning.

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Cool, nice idea. I think you should avoid being too authoritarian about the recipes though. Carribean cookery is something that appeals to me as it has a very mixed bag of different ideas and ingredients, principally west african, british, french, spanish, chinese, and indian all mixed with "new world" ingredients. Who says fusion cookery is "new"? I think it defies snootyness as many of its dishes were created by people living below the poverty line.

If you want any assistance or ideas you know where you can come.

I agree that caribbean cooking is indeed a fusion.

I don't feel qualified to write about caribbean cooking though. I've ate lots of Barbadian food (especially) and Trinidadian and Guyanese food (to a lesser extent) but haven't got much experience with Jamaican food. I do know enough to know that most people's concept of caribbean food is Jamaican food and that is quite different from what I'm used to.

Anywhere I've been in the UK and US and seen a Caribbean food restaurant its Jamaican food. Even at Notting Hill carnival I was quite disappointed not to find any other caribbean food stalls . . .

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