Jerk chicken, rice and peas with black bean purée
Ingredients
for the marinade
2 Scotch bonnet chillies, deseeded and finely chopped
2 limes, juice and zest
40g fresh thyme, stalks removed and chopped
3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
1 tsp ground cloves
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
2 tsps ground allspice
½ tsp ground black pepper
½ tsp salt
for the chicken
2 tbsps vegetable oil
4 large chicken legs, skin on and deeply scored with a knife
for the black bean purée
1 medium onion, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, finely diced
1 tbsp vegetable oil
400g black beans, drained and rinsed
1 tsp chilli powder
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp ground black pepper
1 tbsp fresh coriander, roughly chopped
200ml coconut milk
2 tbsps olive oil
sea salt & black pepper
for the rice
200g basmati rice
400ml coconut milk
1 tbsp fresh thyme, stalks removed
1 tsp allspice
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 spring onions, thinly sliced
sea salt & black pepper
400g black beans, drained and rinsed
200g kidney beans, drained and rinsed
Method
To marinate the chicken, mix all the marinade ingredients together in a bowl to a smooth paste, place the scored chicken legs on a tray and rub the marinade over the chicken ensuring an even cover all over. Ideally leave overnight for the best flavour; marinate for 60 minutes as a minimum.
To cook the chicken, pre-heat the oven to 170°C/325°F/gas mark 3. Heat the vegetable oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and pan-fry the jerk legs for 8-10 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden and crispy. Be careful not to burn the marinade on the outside of the chicken. Transfer to an oven tray, cover with tin foil and cook in the oven for 35 minutes or until cooked thoroughly through; check with a meat thermometer – the centre of the chicken needs to be 75°c.
To make the black bean purée, fry the chopped onion and garlic in a little vegetable oil until soft. Transfer to a blender, add the rest of the purée ingredients, season with salt and freshly cracked black pepper and blend to a smooth paste. Serve hot or cold.
To make the rice, while the chicken is in the oven, rinse the rice in some cold water. Add all the ingredients except the black and kidney beans, season with a large pinch of salt and freshly cracked black pepper and bring to the boil. Drain the beans and add to the rice mixture, stir in and bring back to the boil. Put a lid on the pan and then turn off the heat. After 10 minutes stir the rice with a fork, then put the lid back on and let stand for another 5 minutes.
To serve, drizzle some of the juices from the chicken over the meat and serve with a pot of black bean purée and rice.