For Jamaica, I have chosen the dish of Jerk Chicken with rice and peas!

Jamaica is a vibrant country in the Caribbean, with its capital city being Kingston. It is rich in its history and culture. Jerk chicken originates from when the Maroons introduced African meat cooking techniques to Jamaica which were then combined with native Jamaican ingredients and seasonings used by the Arawak Indians. It is a very tasty dish, and not too difficult to make!

Ingredients

• 12 chicken thighs, bone in
• 1 lime, halved
• 1 big bunch spring onions, roughly chopped
• thumb-sized piece ginger, roughly chopped
• 3 garlic cloves
• ½ a small onion
• 3 scotch bonnet chillies, deseeded if you want less heat
• ½ tsp dried thyme, or 1 tbsp thyme leaves
• 1 lime, juiced
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 3 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tbsp ground allspice
• 200g basmati rice
• 400g can coconut milk
• 1 bunch spring onions, sliced
• 2 large thyme sprigs
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 tsp ground allspice
• 2 x 410g cans kidney beans, drained

Recipe

1. Firstly, make the jerk marinade by putting the spring onions, ginger, onion, garlic, scotch bonnet chillies, dried thyme, brown sugar, ground allspice, soy sauce, vegetable oil and lime juice in a food processor, also adding 1 tsp of salt. Blend until it is a puree, which may be difficult but make sure to avoid adding water as you want a thick paste.
2. Taste the marinade and ensure it is salty, but not overwhelmingly so. You can also add more chillies for a spicier flavour.
3. Make slashes in the chicken thighs and pour the marinade over the meat, making sure all of it is covered. Cover the chicken and leave to marinate in the fridge overnight.
4. Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Put the chicken pieces in a roasting tin with the halved lime and cook for 45 mins until tender and cooked through.
5. Wash the basmati rice in cold water, then tip into a large saucepan, adding the coconut milk, spring onions, thyme sprigs, garlic, and ground allspice.
6. Season with salt, add 300ml cold water and set over a high heat. Once the rice begins to boil, turn it down to a medium heat, cover and cook for 10 mins. Add the kidney beans to the rice, then cover with a lid. Leave off the heat for 5 mins until all the liquid is absorbed.
7. Squeeze the roasted lime over the chicken and serve with the rice & peas, and enjoy!

For more detailed instructions, please see the following link:

link to website