You’re not the only one who wishes they could jet off to Jamaica to escape the cold. While you might not be able to take a vacation, you can travel through your food and this recipe, courtesy of our pal Chef Devan is sure to have you feeling all the island vibes. Jerk chicken is one of Jamaica’s most notable dishes and its sweetness and kick of heat is sure to wake you up and give your day the hit of sunshine it needs. The jerk marinade really penetrates the chicken and results in a juicy and super tender bite.
Here’s how to make Chef Devan’s legendary jerk chicken wings!
Prep time: 1 hour, 40 minutes
Total time: 2 hours, 10 minutes
Serves: 2 for main course, 4 for appetizer
Yield: 2 pounds of wings
Ingredients:
- 1 cup fresh pineapple
- 3 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- kosher salt, to taste
- ½ cup soy sauce
- ½ tbsp tamarind concentrate
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- 3 tbsp lime juice
- 4 scallions, chopped
- 2 tsp All-spice
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- 2 tbsp fresh thyme, leaves removed
- ½ nutmeg, grated
- 2 scotch bonnets, de-seeded
Method:
1) Preheat oven to 450F. In a pan, add pineapple, sugar, lemon juice and salt. Reduce by half.
Blend to form a glaze, once cooked, or leave whole with pineapple chunks.
2) In a bowl, add soy sauce, lime juice, tamarind. Mix, then add ginger, garlic, scallions and
cilantro. Add the remaining ingredients and blend to form a jerk marinade.
3) Trim the skin on the chicken wings. Marinate the wings and leave for one-hour minimum, for best results overnight.
4) Place chicken wings on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and reserve marinade left in the bowl.
5) Bake for 25 minutes, and flip once basting with the remaining marinade. Cook for another 15 minutes or until the internal temperature reaches 160F – 165F.
6) Plate at a height and top with pineapple glaze. Serve immediately.
Recipe: Chef Devan, Photo: Alec Luna
