Crispy Jerk Chicken
Prep. Time:
15 minutes
Baking Time:
30 minutes
Total Time:
1 hour
Serves:
Serves 4
This is our version of the much-admired dish that we saw Corwin make in Season 22 of Top Chef (Destination Canada). Corwin served it with a slaw of napa cabbage, massaged by hand with coarse salt, and mixed with gently pickled red onions.
Ingredients
CRISPY CHICKEN:
180 g (6 oz) Jerk Seasoning
2 tablespoons baking powder
8 skinned, bone-in chicken thighs
SAUCE:
4 tablespoons white miso
2 tablespoons honey hot BBQ Sauce
60 g raisins
2 tablespoons Jamaican rum
2 cups hot water
oil for deep frying
Instructions
Mix the jerk seasoning with baking powder and roll the chicken thighs very thoroughly in the spice mix. Set aside to absorb the flavors.
Make the sauce by mixing all of the ingredients except the water. Heat, stirring, and flambé off the alcohol. Add the hot water, stir and reduce until the sauce coats the back of a spoon.
Heat the oil for deep frying and test it by dipping in the handle of a wooden spoon and if it is immediately surrounded by bubbles then drop in the chicken pieces, moving them around a little with a slotted spoon. Cook for 8 minutes then remove from the oil, shake off any surface oil and drop into the hot sauce.
Stir the chicken sufficiently to soak in the sauce and then use a slotted spoon to remove the chicken and leave it on a wire try to dry for 10 minutes.
Roll the chicken in another round of jerk seasoning and return to the hot oil. Cook for 10 - 15 minutes depending upon the size of the thighs. If you have a meat thermometer, then check that the internal temperature is 165ºF. Otherwise, stick a sharp knife into the deepest part and check that the juices run clear.
If necessary, keep the chicken hot in a low oven before serving.
