Jerk Chicken with Mango Salsa

Name: Jerk Chicken with Mango Salsa
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 70 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Jamaican
Ingredients: 1/4 cup (2 fl. oz./60 ml) white vinegar; 4 garlic cloves, peeled; 1-inch (2.5-cm) piece fresh ginger; 1/2 yellow onion, root end removed; 1 Scotch bonnet or jalape&#241;o pepper, seeded if desired; 1/2 bunch fresh thyme; 1 bunch green onions; 2 Tbs. dark brown sugar; 1 Tbs. garlic powder; 1 Tbs. onion powder; 2 tsp. paprika; 1 tsp. ground allspice; 1/2 tsp. ground cumin; 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon; 1/2 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg; 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper; Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper; <br> 2 lb. (1 kg) bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts or legs; 2 ripe mangoes, peeled and diced; 1 bunch radishes, trimmed and thinly sliced; 1/2 cup (3/4 oz./20 g) minced fresh cilantro; 1/2 cup (1 1/2 oz./45 g) sliced green onions, white and light green portions; Juice of 1/2 lime; Kosher salt; <br> 2 Tbs. avocado oil or vegetable oil; Steamed rice and black beans; 1 lime, cut into wedges

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 40 minutes

Servings: 4

Jamaican in origin, jerk seasoning combines chiles with a medley of aromatic spices and lends a fiery kick to all kinds of meat, such the chicken we use here. To tame the heat, we serve a refreshing mango salsa alongside. If you want to get a jump-start on the recipe, the marinade and dry rub can be prepared and whisked together up to 3 days in advance; cover and refrigerate until ready to use. The mixture includes Scotch bonnet peppers, which are hot, but if you prefer a milder version, swap in a jalapeño instead. Be sure to wear gloves when rubbing the marinade onto the chicken, as the oils from the pepper can burn your skin. Our Test Kitchen loves to double the dry rub and keep half of it on hand as an everyday chicken seasoning. In place of the bone-in chicken, feel free to use boneless, skinless chicken breasts; roast them in a 450°F (230°C) oven until the internal temperature registers 165°F (74°C), 15 to 18 minutes.

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Ingredients:

For the marinade:

1/4 cup (2 fl. oz./60 ml) white vinegar
4 garlic cloves, peeled
1-inch (2.5-cm) piece fresh ginger
1/2 yellow onion, root end removed
1 Scotch bonnet or jalapeño pepper, seeded if desired
1/2 bunch fresh thyme
1 bunch green onions

For the dry rub:

2 Tbs. dark brown sugar
1 Tbs. garlic powder
1 Tbs. onion powder
2 tsp. paprika
1 tsp. ground allspice
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 lb. (1 kg) bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts or legs

For the mango salsa:

2 ripe mangoes, peeled and diced
1 bunch radishes, trimmed and thinly sliced
1/2 cup (3/4 oz./20 g) minced fresh cilantro
1/2 cup (1 1/2 oz./45 g) sliced green onions, white and light green portions
Juice of 1/2 lime
Kosher salt
2 Tbs. avocado oil or vegetable oil

For serving:

Steamed rice and black beans
1 lime, cut into wedges

Directions:

To make the marinade, in a powerful blender with a wand attachment, combine the vinegar, garlic, ginger, yellow onion, Scotch bonnet pepper, thyme and green onions. Blend on high speed until smooth and combined. Set aside.

To make the dry rub, in a large bowl, whisk together the brown sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, allspice, cumin, cinnamon, nutmeg, cayenne, 1 Tbs. plus 1 tsp. salt and a few grindings of black pepper. Pour the marinade into the bowl and whisk until combined with the rub ingredients.

Add the chicken to the bowl. Using gloved hands, rub the marinade all over the chicken until evenly distributed on the outside and underneath the skin. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 hours or up to overnight.

While the chicken is marinating, make the salsa: In a medium bowl, stir together the mangoes, radishes, cilantro, green onions and lime juice; season to taste with salt. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve to allow the flavors to intensify and meld.

Remove the chicken and mango salsa from the refrigerator and let stand at room temperature for 1 hour. Preheat an oven to 375°F (190°C).

Heat a large oven-safe fry pan over medium-high heat and warm the oil. For crispier skin, wipe off the excess marinade from the chicken. Add the chicken, skin side down, and sear until golden brown, about 2 minutes, then turn the chicken over. Transfer the pan to the oven and roast until the marinade has caramelized, the juices run clear and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat, away from the bone, registers 165°F (74°C), 35 to 40 minutes for breasts and 45 to 50 minutes for thighs.

Remove the chicken from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes. Serve immediately with the mango salsa, rice, black beans and lime wedges. Serves 4.

Williams Sonoma Test Kitchen