Ya Mon! - Jerk Chicken with Grilled Banana and Onion Salsa

Let's quickly address the rather large pachyderm in the room:  Yes, it has been a while since I last posted.  There, issue addressed; let's move on, shall we?

In the interest of time and preserving my dignity, I will not divulge when this meal was cooked and eaten.  What I will tell you is that it was a delicious meal.  I will, though, apologize for the lack of chicken-prep photos, which were Marshall's responsibility and in the joy of grilling the chicken, he forgot.  We also grilled the chicken a night ahead, due to an even or something.  We have a schedule when we eat.  We are creatures of habit and keeping a "cook Monday and Wednesday; eat leftovers Tuesday and Thursday; figure out something Friday through Sunday" is easy for us to make sure we're eating more at home than coming up short on what to eat and ending up going out.

Anyway, all that aside:  this was exactly how the editors of Cook's Illustrated described this chicken:  easy, as well as being very tasty.  It also wasn't really super spicy, which anything labeled "jerk" tends to be.  The marinade/rub does contain habenero peppers, but they aren't there in the forefront.  What you get is an extremely flavorful and juicy chicken with a very nice warmth, which only suggests the pepper's presence.  What really stands out in this meal is the side dish:  grilled banana and red onion salsa.  We treated this more like a salad, rather than a salsa.  But, it's a great dish and it packs so much flavor and it's a refreshing counterpart to the spicy and warm chicken.  The grilled bananas and red onions are sweet, but not too sticky.  The dressing is minty and with just a spark of rum ties everything together.  Considering I've never been to Jamaica before, I can't say how this stacks up to what you would find on the island, but I can only imagine it holds its own against the authentic birds being fired up on the street.  Is it bad that I wanted to construct my own charcoal grill out of a discarded oil drum and cook my chicken just to get that close to authentic?  :)


Easy Grilled Jerk Chicken
Serves 4


1 Bunch of Scallions, root-ends and tops tripped, coarsely chopped
2-3 Scotch Bonnet or Habenero chiles, stemmed
1/4 Cup Vegetable Oil, plus more for cooking grate
2 Tablespoons Light or Mild Molasses
1 Tablespoon Dried Thyme
3 Garlic Cloves, peeled
2 teaspoons Ground Allspice
2 teaspoons Kosher Salt
3 pounds bone-in, skin-on Chicken Thighs, Legs, or Breasts, trimmed
1 Lime, cut into wedges (for serving)

1.  Puree scallions, chiles, oil, molasses, thyme, garlic, allspice, and salt in blender or food processor until almost smooth, scraping down the sides if necessary.  Wearing disposable gloves and working with 1 piece of chicken at a time, slide fingers between skin and meat to loosen skin, then rub 1 tablespoon spice mixture under skin of each piece and transfer chicken to gallon-sized zipper-lock bag.  Pour remaining spice mixture over chicken, seal bag, and turn bag so that chicken pieces are covered with mixture.  Refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or up to 36 hours (the longer the chicken marinates, the spicier it gets!).
2a. For charcoal grill:  Light large chimney starter filled with charcoal (6 quarts, about 100 briquettes) and burn until coals are fully ignited and partially covered with thin layer or gray ash, 15-20 minutes.  Build 2-level fire by arranging coals 2 or 3 pieces high over half of grill and in single layer over other half of grill.  Position cooking grate over coas, ocver grill, and heat grate until hot, about 5 minutes.  Scrape grate clean with grill brush.
2b. For gas grill:  Turn all burners on high and heat grill with lid down until hot, about 15 minutes.  Scrape grill clean with grill brush.  Leave primary burner on high and turn other burner(s) to medium-low.  Make sure to cook the chicken with the lid always down.
3.  Lightly dip wad of paper towels in vegetable oil, holding wad with tongs, wipe cooking grate.  Remove chicken from bag and arrange chicken skin-side down over hotter side of the grill.  Cook chicken until well browned on both sides, 3-5 minutes per side.  Transfer chicken to cooler side of grill and continue to cook chicken until very dark and fully cooked, 15-22 minutes.
4.  Serve with lime wedges.
Cook's Illustrated:  Summer Grilling 2010, p. 13.

Grilled Banana and Red Onion Salsa
Makes about 3 Cups

1 Large Red Onion, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch rounds
3 Bananas, slightly unripe, peeled and halved lengthwise (Cook's Note:  Err on the side of more unripe than not, or the bananas will fall apart on the grill)
2 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil
1/2 teaspoons Ground Cumin
Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper, to taste
2 Tablespoons Lime Juice (fresh is best)
2 Tablespoons Fresh Mint, chopped
1 Tablespoon Light Brown Sugar (or whatever brown sugar you have on-hand)
1 Tablespoon Dark Rum
(Cook's Note:  The original recipe says this is optional.  If you have rum, throw it in.  I don't think it would taste the same without it.  If you're sensitive to alcohol, though, feel free to omit; it's your decision)

1.  Brush both sides of onion rounds and banana halves with oil and season with cumin, salt and pepper to taste.  Grill onion rounds over hotter side of grill, covered, until well browned, 3-4 minutes per side.  Transfer onion rounds to cooler side of grill and place bananas, cut-side down, over hotter side of grill.  Grill bananas, covered, until browned in spots, about 2 minutes per side.  Transfer onion and bananas to cutting board and cool slightly.
2.  Whisk together lime juice, mint, brown sugar, and rum (if using) in a medium bowl until sugar has dissolved.  Roughly chop onion and bananas, add to bowl and toss to coat.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.
3.  Serve!
Cook's Illustrated:  Summer Grilling 2010, p. 13.


bon appetit!