Jerk Chicken & Rice

Ingredients

• 8 bone-in chicken thighs, skin on
• salt and black pepper
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 3 tbsp jerk paste or seasoning
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 x 400g tin kidney beans, drained and rinsed
• 300 ml chicken stock
• 300 g long-grain rice, rinsed
• 1 red pepper, deseeded and diced
• 1 green pepper, deseeded and diced
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 x 400ml tin coconut milk
• sliced spring onions and lime wedges, to serve
• festival (fried dumplings), to serve
• creamy coleslaw, to serve
• scotch bonnet pickle, to serve

Method

1. Coat the chicken thighs all over with the jerk paste and season generously with salt and pepper. If time allows, marinate for 30 minutes — or overnight in the fridge for deeper flavour.
2. Heat the oil in a large, wide, lidded casserole over medium-high heat. Lay the chicken in skin-side down and cook for 8 minutes, undisturbed, until the skin is deeply golden and crisp. Flip and cook for 3 minutes more, then lift out onto a plate.
3. Tip the onion and both peppers into the same pan and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes, until softened and just beginning to colour at the edges. Stir in the garlic and thyme and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant.
4. Pour in the coconut milk and chicken stock and bring to a boil, scraping up any sticky bits from the base of the pan. Stir in the rinsed rice and kidney beans.
5. Nestle the chicken thighs back in, skin-side up so the tops sit proud of the liquid. Reduce the heat to low, cover tightly, and cook for 20 minutes.
6. Take the pan off the heat and leave it covered for a further 5 minutes to finish steaming. Fluff the rice around the chicken with a fork and check the seasoning.
7. Scatter with sliced spring onions and bring to the table with lime wedges, festival, creamy coleslaw and a jar of scotch bonnet pickle alongside.