This is a special request for Splot who wondered what made the house smell so yummy the other night and photographer boy to whom I keep forgetting to send the recipe for chicken that will hurt your tongue.

The recipe is actually a pretty spot on interpretation of authentic jerk. It tastes a lot like the jerk sauce from the best Jamaican restaurant in town, Davids which is about the only restaurant that will motivate me to drive literally all the way across town. Its that good. Their sauce is slightly heavier on the vinegar however which makes it amazing on kidney beans and rice. However for a straight jerked chicken this recipe is much more delicate and flavorful. Be warned, it will however kill at least one of your taste buds with insane spiciness but youll love every moment of it.

Jerk Chicken

1/2 cup malt or white vinegar
2 tablespoons dark rum
2 teaspoons molasses (we use agave nectar)
2 tablespoons oil
2 scotch bonnet peppers (or habaneros,) chopped
1 onion, chopped
4 scallions, chopped
1 tablespoons dried thyme
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
4 teaspoons ground allspice
4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
4 teaspoons ground nutmeg
4 teaspoons ground ginger


5 to 6 pound roasting chicken, cut in half, lengthwise
1/2 cup lime juice

*Safety note: Scotch Bonnet peppers are very hot. Use gloves when handling them.

Put vinegar, rum, molasses, oil, peppers, onion, scallions, and all the spices into a food processor, blend until mostly smooth.

Place chicken pieces in large bag, pour in lime juice and coat meat well. Add the jerk paste and coat chicken thoroughly. Seal bag and refrigerate over night.

Remove chicken from bag when ready to cook it. Reserve marinade and place in a small sauce pan. Bring marinade to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes. Set aside to use for basting chicken and as a sauce while serving.

Season chicken with salt and pepper. Place chicken skin side up in foil covered baking pan in a 350 degree oven or on the grill covered with a foil tent. Roast for 50 to 60 minutes until the chicken is done and juices run clear. The internal temperature should be 170 degrees in the breast. On the grill cooking time with be just over an hour when keeping grill temperature between 350 and 400 degrees. Baste occasionally while cooking with leftover marinade. Any remaining marinade can be used as a dipping sauce when serving.

Original recipe from Simply Recipes.

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When I want to treat myself while not thinking about little things like fat content and such this is my favorite dish to order out in an Indian place. It is a saturated fat monster of a meal what with heavy cream, cashews, and tons of cheese. Its a treat for sure and not a dish to put in the regular cooking rotation. It was a fun experience to cook at home though because it turned out so well we pretty much have no need to go out for Indian anymore. We cooked little fried lentil and chickpea breads with this paneer and had a really great Indian feast.

After making this meal however Im officially fed up with paneer. This is the hazard of bulk food shopping. Weve made some really delicious curries out of it but the remaining 2 pounds are going in the freezer to be excavated in a couple months. I need a break from paneer.

Shahi Paneer

8 tablespoons vegetable oil (divided use)
1/4 cup chopped cashews, roughly chopped
1/4 cup golden raisins

1/2 pound paneer, cut in small cubes

2 medium onions, chopped
1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
4 garlic cloves
2 green chillies, chopped

Salt to taste
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cubeb pepper
3/4 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon garam masala

1/2 cup Milk
4 tablespoon heavy cream


Heat 1 tablespoon oil in large frying pan over medium heat. Saute the cashews and raisins until just barely browned. Remove from pan and reserve.

Add 5 tablespoons of oil to pan. Fry paneer until browned over medium heat. Remove from pan and reserve.

In food processor puree onion, ginger, garlic, green chili into a fine paste. Fry the mixture in the remaining 2 tablespoons oil until golden brown. Add salt, chili powder, cubeb pepper, turmeric powder, and garam masala. Saute for 1-2 minutes.

Add milk to make a gravy. Bring the gravy to boil then reduce the heat and cook until the gravy becomes thick. Put a most of the toasted cashews and raisins in the gravy while it is being cooked, reserving a small portion for decorating.

Add paneer cubes and cream, heating for 5 minutes. Garnish with extra cream, cashews and raisins.

Original recipe from Indian Food Forever.

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