Nico lights up his barbecue to show us how to make Jerk chicken and serves it a truly Irish way, as a chicken fillet roll. This is Nico's take on his dual Irish Jamaican heritage. And on the side easy, tasty, delicious fried plantain - a Jamaican classic.
Ingredients
Jerk Chicken Fillet Roll & Fried Green Plantain Chips
Serves: 4
For the chicken:
- 1 large onion, peeled & roughly chopped
- 3 spring onion, chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled
- Thumb sized piece ginger, peeled
- 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 50ml dark soy sauce
- 1 tbsp allspice
- ½ teaspoon of freshly cracked black pepper
- Juice of one lime
- 50mls thyme vinegar
- 1/2 scotch bonnet pepper, deseeded
- 8 x boneless and skinless chicken thighs
To serve:
- 1 red onion
- Juice 1 lime
- 4 x white demi baguettes
- 100g mayonnaise
- 50g butter
- 1/2 head Iceberg lettuce, shredded
Equipment:
- 4 metal skewers
- Mini blender
Fried Green Plantain Chips
Serves 4
- 4 x green plantain, firm
- Vegetable oil, for frying
- Sea salt flakes
Method
Jerk Chicken Fillet Roll & Fried Green Plantain Chips
- Blend the onion, spring onions, garlic, ginger, brown sugar, soy, all spice, pepper, lime, thyme vinegar and scotch bonnet in a mini blender or food processor until very finely chopped, it won't be smooth.
- Put your chicken thigh fillets in a dish, pour the marinade over and toss to coat the chicken in the marinade.
- Leave for at least 30 minutes or overnight if you can.
- Peel and thinly slice red onion and put it in a small bowl with the lime juice, this will need at least 15 minutes but the longer you can leave it the better because the onions will turn pink.
- Light your barbecue when you are ready to cook the chicken, bringing it to a medium high heat.
- Thread your marinated chicken thighs through two sets of parallel metal skewers, this helps to turn the chicken.
- Put your chicken on the barbecue to cook until they meat is cooked through and has reached an internal temperature of 75c
- Meanwhile, slice your baguettes in half lengthways, spread with mayonnaise and butter. Arrange the iceberg inside.
- Slice your chicken, and add this to the rolls and finish with the pickled red onions.
Fried Green Plantain Chips
- To remove the plantain skin, cut each end, using a sharp knife, cut a slit along the length and then peel off the skin. Thinly slice the plantain, using a mandolin if you have one.
- Pour about 2 inches/ 5 cm of oil into a high sided pan and heat the oil until it is rippling hot.
- Carefully add your plantain pieces and fry for about 30 seconds or until they float to the top. Flip them carefully, so they cook golden on both sides.
- Scoop the plantain from the oil using a slotted spoon or spider onto a tray lined with kitchen paper. Sprinkle generously with sea salt immediately and serve.
