This week, I decided I was really craving that Jamaican Jerk flavors that I enjoyed beachside back in December. It feels like it has been much longer. To be honest, I was probably craving some of that beach weather too, but that’s beside the point. The rice and peas is a local dish that you will see just about everywhere you go in Jamaica, that consists of rice, cooked with kidney beans and coconut milk. The jerk chicken is a dish heavily seasoned with a jerk seasoning blend and then smoked over pimento wood. Although my wife and I enjoyed this classic combination at Scotchies near Dunn’s River Falls, and at the Jerk Hut at the Hyatt Zilara where we stayed, we both agreed that our favorite was at the Pork Pit in Montego Bay. We had to make a few concessions at home, since it wasn’t;t quite grilling weather outside and we had no pimento wood, but the flavor came pretty close by using the Island Spice brand of products we procured in Jamaica, and searing the chicken skin side down and then slow cooking in the oven.
Staycation Series: Recreating Jerk Chicken
