HAPPY BIRTHDAY VAUGHN

HAPPY BIRTHDAY VAUGHN

Give me a few days notice, they next time you are visiting Queens, and I will have these two dishes ready for you in a care package.  HAPPY BIRTHDAY.

JAMAICAN JERK CHICKEN

Ingredients

 

 One 3 1/2 lb chicken (3lb of chicken breasts may be used if preferred)
 6 sliced scotch bonnet peppers (jalapenos may be used if scotch bonnet peppers are unavailable)
 2 Tbsp. thyme
 2 Tbsp. ground allspice
 8 Cloves garlic, finely chopped
 3 Medium onions, finely chopped
2 Tbsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. salt
2 Tsp. ground black pepper
1 to 2 Tsp of the following (to taste)
-ground cinnamon
-nutmeg
-ginger
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup soy sauce
Juice of one lime
1 cup orange juice

DIRECTIONS

Combine all ingredients in a large plastic container, large enough to mix ingredients thoroughly,

Let sit in the refrigerator for at least two days, the longer this chicken sits marinating the better it will taste.

Pre heat a grill pan or the grill to high heat, place chicken directly on the grill and grill until the internal temperature is 160, remove from grill and cover for at least thirty minutes with tinfoil. The chickens will continue to cook while resting.  The juices will return to the BBQ chicken, which will make it juicy.

Caribbean Beans and Rice

INGREDIENTS

4 slices smoked bacon or 1 small ham hock

4 cloves garlic, roughly chopped

1 cup dried red kidney beans, brought to a boil and cooled, drained

5 cups cold water

1 Scotch bonnet, halved and seeded, or 2 Serrano chilies

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 (14-ounce) can coconut milk

4 scallions, crushed*

2 sprigs fresh thyme

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1 tablespoon sea salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 1/2 cups long-grain rice, washed and drained

DIRECTIONS

Heat a Dutch oven or large, deep pot over medium-high heat. Add the bacon to the hot pot and cook until light brown on both sides. Add the garlic and saute until light brown. Add the drained beans along with the cold water to the bacon and garlic and bring to a boil over high heat.

Cover the pot, reduce heat to a simmer, and cook until beans are just tender, about 1 hour. Add the chili peppers, cinnamon, coconut milk, scallions, thyme, allspice, salt, and pepper and bring to a boil. Stir in the rice and, once the mixture has returned to a boil, stir, reduce the heat to low, cover and cook for 20 to 30 minutes, or until the rice is tender and has absorbed all of the liquid. Allow to sit for 15 minutes before serving. Remove the thyme sprigs and Scotch bonnet pepper halves and serve. 

It is traditional to "crush" scallions by placing them on a cutting board and lightly tapping them with the handle of a knife. They can then be removed before serving but still impart their wonderful flavor to the rice and beans.