Jerk Chicken

Smoky, spicy, deeply flavoured chicken marinated in a fiery blend of scotch bonnet peppers, allspice, thyme and spring onions, then slow-cooked over pimento wood.

Jerk cooking originated with the Maroons — escaped African slaves who lived in the Jamaican mountains in the 17th century. They developed the technique of heavily spicing and slow-cooking meat over fire as both a preservation method and a way to mask the smell from colonial hunters. The word jerk likely comes from the Spanish charqui, meaning dried meat. Today jerk is Jamaica's most iconic dish, sold from roadside stands across the island.

Authentic jerk must use scotch bonnet peppers — not habanero. The marinade needs allspice berries (called pimento in Jamaica) and fresh thyme. Traditionally cooked over pimento wood which gives a unique smoky flavour impossible to fully replicate on a regular grill. The chicken should be scored deeply so the marinade penetrates to the bone.