I will begin by stating that this may not be totally authentic – it is very much something I put together myself, and is not meant to be a traditional recreation of an exact dish.
What made this so nice was its ease – one pot, entirely cooked in the oven, perfect for sharing across a table with friends (as, indeed, I did). The rice was beautifully savoury with a slight crisp on top, the beans and spinach adding a great backing to the overall flavour. The sweet and spicy chicken was fabulous, and the lime juice squeezed over at the end brought it all together with a sweet acidic bite.
Ingredients
- Chicken Thighs
- Jerk Seasoning (store bought or home made)
- Oil – I used rapeseed
- Garlic Clove
- Red Onion
- Lime Juice
For the Rice
- Long grain rice
- Vegetable/Chicken Stock
- Tinned Beans (I used borlotti, kidney would work well too)
- Spinach
- Red Onion
- Crushed garlic
- Butter
- Salt
Method
- Make a marinade by blending a few teaspoons of jerk seasoning, garlic clove, half a red onion, the juice of half a lime and half a red onion. Blend it with oil until you have a smooth paste. Score your chicken thighs and smear over the marinade. Leave overnight.
- Preheat your oven to 200C. Chop the rest of the red onion and add to a large oven safe pot with a few teaspoons of butter, half a teaspoon of garlic paste and sprinkling of salt. Place in the oven for 10 minutes, until soft.
- Add half a mug of rice per portion, your tin of beans, a handful of spinach and cover with stock. Place the thighs on top and roast in the oven, covered, for 30 minutes.
- Use a fork to gently push the rice down without disturbing the chicken, just so the rice is still submerged.
- Uncover and roast for a further 15-20 minutes, until chicken is crisp.
Serving
Serve with some slices of fresh lime on top for squeezing.
