method

Now with Caribbean food — prepare to succeed! And, you really need to make this the day before you want to serve it. It will give the herbs and spices time to infuse into the gravy and meat, completely mellow the taste of tomatoes and allow that fresh thyme to shine through all the complex flavours of this curry. Give it a day in the fridge and it will transform into something truely magical!

Indian & Caribbean food needs the same process, if you do not prepare and get all your stuff out up front — it's going to create stress!!! You're going to miss something, then you will not enjoy the cooking process — taking in the aroma of dinner simmering away with all the prep' and mess gone. Tough to learn, but if you have tried My Jerk Chicken Legs, this is very similar, but in a gravy.

Prepare — get done — wash up — then cook & enjoy the process. Once you've mastered that rhythm, and your guests arrive, you'll be chilled and confident. — with not a ready meal in sight!

1. Cut the green ends off the spring onions
2. Slice into discs & set aside
3. Create the marinade: Finely dice or mince the:
   • 1 Scotch bonnet chilli
   • 5 Cloves garlic
   • 2 inch piece of fresh ginger
   • 3 large Spring onions
   in a food processor, or, by hand
4. Combine the fresh paste ingredients with the ground spices
   • 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
   • 1 tsp Allspice (Pimento)
   • 1 small bunch of very fresh Thyme
   • 1 tsp Nutmeg
   • 1 x piece of Mace
   • Juice of 1 Lime or ½ Lemon
   • 1 & 1/2 tsp Salt
   • 1 tsp Black peppercorns

5. Put your diced chicken into a container
6. Tip the Jerk paste onto the diced chicken
7. Shake the pot to coat it all, stir through & set aside*

*Let the chicken marinate for at least an hour, but, preferably overnight in the fridge. The longer you leave it, the better those flavours will develop.

9. Pre-heat a heavy based pan & add your oil, you want it smoking hot
10. Add the white ends of the spring onions to the marinated chicken
11. Toss the chicken & marinade a little at a time into the oil once very hot to seal the meat*

*I say this while being mindful of the chilli experience I had with Jerked Pork curry and the tissues I needed! I had spots of oil every where! Spitting is a thing with a wet paste, trust me it spits! Once it calms down wipe surfaces remove the lid & stir fry calmly :-)

12. Stir fry the meat for about 15 minutes until sealed
13. Once sealed, add:
    • 1 Red Bell Pepper
    • 1 large Scallion or 1 bunch small spring onions
    (blitzed to fine paste) then add:
    • tin of mashed plum tomatoes
    • ¼ tin water
    then simmer gently for another 30 minutes with the lid on.

14. Remove the lid & add:
    • ½ tsp sugar
    then sprinkle with the green ends of the 2nd batch of spring onions

15. Stir well then turn the heat up & reduce the sauce to intensify the flavours*

If the sauce looks thin Don't Worry! it's packed full of flavour and there's nothing in this recipe to thicken the sauce. It either thickens or it doesn't and there's something kind of luxurious about it when thin.

Once made, I prefer to set this curry aside in the fridge for the following day :-( because, this, as with most really spicy food tastes better the next day. However, I will admit to serving it straight away today though, but hey! My grown up blue cheese macaroni pie was ready straight out of the oven. There's no way I was going to allow it to chill, we were hungry!

Jerked Chicken curry served with Nutty's Grown-up Blue Cheese Macaroni Pie

"food to calm the soul"

Head over to the recipe page (it's published!) to see how I make grown up blue cheese macaroni pie here's a little teasing picture for you!

grown-up stylie!