Belize Recipes -Belizean Jerk Chicken

• 3 whole chickens

Ingredients to make Jerk seasoning:

• 4 sweet peppers
• 2 onions
• 2 tomatoes (not too ripe)
• 10 cloves garlic
• 2 habanero peppers (can be reduced)
• 1 inch ginger
• 10 leaves local oregano
• 1 table spoon dried oregano
• 1 table spoon thyme leafs
• ½ table spoon paprika powder
• ½ table spoon cumin
• ½ table spoon crushed black pepper
• ½ table spoon salt
• 3 oz dark rum
• 3 oz lime juice
• 2 slices orange peel
• 20 cilantro seeds
• 4 leaves all spice
• Some olive oil to liquefy
• 6 lbs sweet potato
• 8 oz margarine or butter
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon powder
• Salt & black pepper to taste
• 6 oranges

• Cut the chicken in 8 pieces and remove all skin, then rinse the chicken in some water to remove all bone fragments and blood .
• Cut the onions, pepper, garlic and ginger roughly before putting in the food processor
• Then add the dry herbs and spices, the lime-juice and the rum. Blend the mixture on full speed and add as much olive oil as needed to give it a smooth texture.
• Rub the chicken pieces with the jerk seasoning and allow marinating several hours (overnight is best)
• Place the chicken on a baking tray and roast on a smoky barbeque oven for up to 45 minutes on low heat.
• Drizzle or brush the chicken with the marinate on a regular base
• Peel the sweet potatoes and boil in sufficient salted water till done.
• Strain the potatoes and allow to dry for a couple of minutes.
• Then mash them in a food processor while adding the butter, eggs and cinnamon.
• Add salt and pepper to taste.
• Transfer the mashed potatoes to a piping bag.
• Cut the oranges in half and remove all meat.
• Pipe the mash in to the orange skin
• Place the filled oranges on a baking sheet and bake for 10 to 15 minutes on 350 F

This version of the jerk seasoning is best after about 24 hours of marinating. Apart from chicken this preparation can be used for pork, lamb and even fish.

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