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Jerked Chicken Curry

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Now, I am really so excited to bring you this recipe, I gave you my pork version a little while ago, but, this time I made it with chicken thighs, just as another meat flavour alternative and have to tell you: I was not disappointed! In fact, I was so happy with the result I could have danced over the roof tops with joy!

I sat down to eat with my techie-guy (he has to write stuff up so he gots to eat too!) so, last night we did and I have to say, it was a bit of an I'm in heaven session! I served Jerked Chicken Curry with a real grown up Blue Cheese Macaroni Pie and when we had finished he said "That is truely food to calm the soul" and we just looked at each other, grinning from ear to ear, eyes glazed with delight as if all our worldly troubles had melted away along with the cheese!

Now this Jerked Chicken Curry! is different, totally different to the curries I normally make and it has no vegetables! I hear you screaming but Nutty! Well, I think you are in for a real treat here. This is one of my favourite foods — Jamaican! Now I've said this before, but, years ago we had a lovely lady who prepared and delivered this amazing food! Sadly she never survived the cut throat fast-food environment we live in today. So, this recipe is homemade and as close to the taste of Jamaica that she delivered all that while ago, and as near I could get it, trust me! I do not claim I can re-create what "Mamas Kitchen" delivered. But I will try!

This is super quick and easy to put together. Then you just need to let it sit in the fridge for a day to let those herbs and spices do their thing. All you need to do next day is throw it in the wok and away you go {:->

Click the Method tab below to see a step by step guide on how to make my Jerked Chicken Curry! Oh! And not to forget, some pictures as a guide {;-)

jerked chicken and macaroni pie plated 03

ingredients

Here's what you need :¬P

serves 2 - 3

  • 500g boned & skinless chicken thighs, diced into 1 inch chunks
  • 3 Tbls vegetable oil
  • 2 Scotch bonnet chillies, finely chopped
  • 5 Cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 2 inch piece of fresh ginger, finely chopped
  • 3 Spring onions, finely chopped for the marinade
  • 1/4 tsp Cloves
  • 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
  • 1 tsp Allspice (Pimento)
  • 1 small bunch of very fresh Thyme*
  • 1 tsp Nutmeg
  • 1/2 a fresh Lemon juiced
  • 1 & 1/2 tsp Salt**
  • 1 tsp Black peppercorns crushed
  • 1 Tin of plum tomatoes, mashed
  • 1/4 Tin of water
  • 1 tsp Sugar***
  • 3 Spring onions, sliced to add to the curry

*I bought a new fresh thyme plant recently, as my old one had gotten really woody over the years. I can not encourage you enough to do the same! I didn't have to spend time picking leaves from the stalks (yippee!) and it made a massive difference to flavour of this curry.

**Note I added a little more salt in this Jerked Chicken Curry and it really enhanced all those beautiful flavours. It makes me think that I should double check the seasoning on the pork version of this curry next time I make it.

***This is purely a tomato & meat based curry so we need to reduce the tartness of the tinned tomatoes, white onion would usually achieve this, but a few spring onions will not. So, the trick is — just a level spoon of sugar!

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, the satisfaction you'll feel once that process is mastered and your guests arrive, you will be chilled and confident — with not a ready meal in sight!

spice ingredients for curry
ingredients
Note: fresh thyme is missing in the above pic'
  1. Cut the green ends off the spring onions
  2. Slice into discs & set aside
  3. Finely dice or mince the ginger, garlic, scotch bonnets & 3 spring onions in a food processor, or, by hand
  4. Combine the fresh paste ingredients with the ground spices
add the ground spices
jerk seasoning in food mixer 01
and combine all
jerk seasoning in food mixer 02
  1. Put your diced chicken into a container
  2. Tip the Jerk paste onto the diced chicken
  3. 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.

marinated chicken
marinated chicken and spring onions
add the white ends of spring onions before frying
  1. Pre-heat a heavy based pan & add your oil, you want it smoking hot
  2. Add the white ends of the spring onions to the marinated chicken
  3. Toss the chicken & marinade a little at a time into the oil once very hot to seal the meat*
fry off the chicken
frying chicken 02
push to the side
frying chicken 03
add some more
frrying chicken 08
until all the meat is sealed

*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 :-)

  1. Stir fry the meat for 15 minutes
  2. Once sealed, add the tomatoes & water then simmer gently for another 30 minutes with the lid on
add water & tomatoes
tomatoes added 01
  1. Remove the lid & sprinkle with the green ends of the 2nd batch of spring onions
add the tops of the spring onions
add spring onion tops 02
  1. 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

jerked chicken curry
jerked chicken and macaroni pie plated 03
served with 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!

blue cheese macaroni pie
baked macaroni pie
grown-up stylie {:¬)