Jerk chicken and flatbreads
Jerk chicken is a popular party dish for good reason. It will bring sunshine to your plate on the cloudiest of days.
Ingredients
- 8 boneless chicken thighs, skin on (if possible)
For the jerk paste
- 5 Scotch bonnet chillies, seeds removed
- 1 bunch spring onions, thinly sliced
- 50g/1¾oz fresh coriander, roughly chopped
- 1 lime, juice only
- 2 tbsp palm sugar or soft light brown sugar
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp ground allspice
- 5 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- 1 tbsp dark rum
- 10–12 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves only
- ½ tbsp ground cinnamon
- 2cm/¾in fresh root ginger, roughly chopped
- splash fresh orange juice
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil, or enough to make a smooth paste
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the flatbreads
- 50g/1¾oz butter, softened, cut into pieces
- 180ml/6fl oz whole milk
- 300g/10½oz plain flour, plus extra for dusting
- vegetable oil, for frying
Method
Put the jerk paste ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth, using enough oil and orange juice to create a thick paste. Smother the chicken in the paste, cover and leave in the fridge for at least 2 hours, or preferably overnight.
Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4.
To make the flatbreads, beat the butter and milk together in a bowl. Slowly mix in the flour and ½ teaspoon salt until you have a dough consistency.
Knead the dough on a lightly floured work surface until smooth. Wrap in cling film and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, place an ovenproof griddle pan over a high heat and cook the chicken on both sides until browned. Transfer the pan to the oven and bake for 40 minutes. (You could also cook this on a hot barbecue. Just make sure the chicken is fully cooked before serving.)
Place the rested dough on a lightly floured work surface and divide into quarters. Roll each quarter out to 3mm thick.
Using a heavy-based frying pan or skillet, heat a little oil over a medium heat and add a flatbread. Cook for 1–2 minutes on each sides, or until you reach your desired level of crispness. Serve the chicken with the warm flatbreads.
