Irish-Trinidadian Chef Eamon de Freitas tells Brendan why a marinade might be your ticket to big flavour.
Classic Jerk Marinade for when you have some time
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken Or 4-6 whole chicken legs Or 2 kgs of pork chops
- 1 scotch bonnet or 2 habaneros chillies
- 1 Bunch of Scallion
- 1 small Red Onion
- 1/2 cup Dark Soy
- 1 Whole bulb Garlic
- 2 thumbs of ginger
- 1 Tablespoon Allspice powder
- 1 Teaspoon Clove Powder
- 1 Teaspoon Cinnamon
- 1 Tablespoon dried thyme leaves
Method
Stick it all in a blender or food processor until thick paste. Add water if needed. Score chicken thighs and legs and rub all over the chicken or pork. Place in a sealable bag and remove all the air. Place in the fridge for a minimum of overnight. Ideally 4-5 days.
Pepper Shrimp
Pepper Shrimp for when you are low on time
Ingredients
- 500g Shell-on, deveined prawns
- 1 hot pepper(habanero, jalapeno, red chilli) Whatever you can handle
- 6 cloves of garlic
- Equal weight of ginger as to garlic
- 1/4 Cup sesame oil
- 1 whole lime
Method
Dice all the ingredients and add to the liquids or use a blender/processor to make life easy. Toss prawns with the marinade and then straight into a screaming hot pan. Too long in the marinade and the lime will cook the prawns!