Excitement flourished as Derek set his eyes upon an object of desire - an innocent little cornish game hen, all wrapped up in its own tight, individual packaging. Price tag? about $12. This same excitement, however, was not shared by Derek's counterpart (me) - as a plain chicken breast looked a bit more appetizing than having to dissect a little bird (though tasty, I must admit).
Derek's plan for this little bird: Jamaican Jerk.
The recipe came from "The Professional Chef" - an over 1200 page monster book that Derek purchased around Christmas-time. Given that the recipes are typically for 10+ people (a restaurant manual, if you will), Derek had to scale it down. For me, he used the same rub, same technique, just used a chicken breast and therefore, cooked it a bit less time.
Jerked Game Hens
Ingredients:
• 2 game hens (well, one game hen and one chicken breast)
• 1/4 cup Jerk Rub (recipe follows)
• 1/6 tsp salt
JERK RUB
Make sure you wear gloves when working with the rub; if the oil from those Scotch bonnets comes anywhere near sensitive skin, it burns like fire.
Makes 3/4 cup
• 1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 3 scallions, chopped
• 1 Scotch bonnet, chopped
• 2 tbsp chopped thyme
• 2 tsp ground allspice
• 1½ tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp grated nutmeg
• 1/4 cup dark rum
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
Directions
1. Combine all the Jerk Rub ingredients in a blender and puree to a smooth, thick paste. Refrigerate until ready to use. Store any unused rub in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
2. Remove the backbone of each game hen by holding it upright, with the backbone facing you. Run a knife down either side to remove the bone, then lay it on its back and press on the breast to flat- ten the hen.
3. Rub the jerk rub on the game hens to coat evenly. (Wear gloves when working with the rub.) Transfer to a shallow pan, cover, and let marinate in the refrigerator for at least 8 and up to 12 hours.
4. Preheat a gas grill to medium. If you are using a charcoal grill, build a fire and let it burn down until the coals are glowing red with a moderate coating of white ash. Spread the coals in an even bed. Clean the cooking grate.
5. Brush off any excess rub from the game hens. Season the hens with the salt. Grill the game hens over direct heat until marked, about 4 minutes per side. Move the hens to indirect heat and continue to grill, covered and turning as needed, until cooked through (165°F), about 12 to 15 minutes more. (NOTE: Derek had to cook it a good deal more - he did about 12 minutes on each side and then had to bake it for about 10-15 minutes more...wanted to make sure the bird was completely cooked!!)
Marinating the meat overnight really makes a big difference!! The chicken was super tender, you could just tell by looking at it. Sometimes chicken has that separated/stringy look when you cut into it - but not this. This was more like the look of one of those processed deli meats that is perfectly blended together - not the best image (processed deli meat) but you get the picture.
The flavor of the chicken was very familiar to me, and I immediately pinpointed the source - my favorite rum drink at "Smuggler's Cove" - a rum/tiki bar in San Francisco. The drink contains good rum (obviously) and a mix of spices, predominately allspice. And wow - it's fantastic, just like the chicken.
Derek thought it could be a bit hotter - have a bit more sprice to it, and I wouldn't disagree - but only a tad bit more as there was a very pleasant heat that followed each bite.
To go with the Game Hens/Chicken, Derek planned Red Beans & Rice and Braised Swiss Chard.
Red Beans & Rice
recipe adapted from Bobby Flay's "Jamaican Rice and Peas"
Ingredients
3/4 cups dried red kidney beans, soaked overnight and drained, reserving 1 cup of bean water
1 clove garlic, smashed
1/2 cup chicken broth
1-2 green onions, thinly sliced, plus more for garnish
1/2 jalapeno pepper, chopped
1.5 sprigs fresh thyme
3/4 cups long grain brown rice
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Soak the dried beans in water overnight.
Place beans and garlic in a medium saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a simmer and cook until the beans are tender, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. (NOTE: Derek started the beans in the crock-pot as we went to the gym - that worked too!)
When the beans are tender, stir in the chicken broth, reserved bean water, green onions, jalapeno, and thyme, and increase the heat to a boil. Stir in the rice, cover the pot, and cook until the rice is tender and has absorbed most of the liquid. (NOTE: This took forever!!! Brown rice has an outer shell on it that makes it take a lot longer to cook that regular white rice - this tested our patience...and we ended up pulling the dish before the rice was completely done - we were hungry)
The flavor of the dish was really awesome - I was surprised by how much flavor came out of the simple ingredients that went into the dish. Really tasty. I wonder if you could slow cook the entire dish?
Braised Swiss Chard
Ingredients
1 tsp. butter
1 slice of bacon, finely chopped
1 bunch, red swiss chard, chopped (1 in. strip), stems and leaves divided
1 medium shallot, finely chopped (about 1/3 cup)
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
salt and pepper, to taste
Directions
Place butter and bacon bits in a deep pot/pan (we used our dutch oven) and cook until bacon is cooked and has rendered its fat. Remove a bit of the rendered fat (to your liking, but leave at least 1 tsp.)
Add the chard stems and cook for about 3-4 minutes (these are tougher than the leaves, this will give them a little head start).
Add the shallots and cook for about 2 minutes.
Now put the chopped swiss chard leaves into the pot, pour chicken broth, and apple cider vinegar and cook until the leaves cook down (about 3-4 minutes).
Turn the heat to low and cover the pot, letting the chard braise for about 20 minutes.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Yum. Something about cooked greens is always appealing to me. We ended up eating the whole pot, which I would say was probably about 4 servings, but, hey, it's vegetables. Derek said he could have had a little more bacon and things that the recipe could have used another 1/2 to full slice of bacon, as well as a touch of red pepper flakes. He didn't add the pepper flakes due to the heat of the meat, but for future executions with non-spicy meals, that would be tasty.
Sort of brought me back to Jamaica when we would go to the outside grill and have unlimited Jamaican Jerk chicken served to us - all-inclusive resorts are great...
Derek's plan for this little bird: Jamaican Jerk.
The recipe came from "The Professional Chef" - an over 1200 page monster book that Derek purchased around Christmas-time. Given that the recipes are typically for 10+ people (a restaurant manual, if you will), Derek had to scale it down. For me, he used the same rub, same technique, just used a chicken breast and therefore, cooked it a bit less time.
Jerked Game Hens
Ingredients:
• 2 game hens (well, one game hen and one chicken breast)
• 1/4 cup Jerk Rub (recipe follows)
• 1/6 tsp salt
JERK RUB
Make sure you wear gloves when working with the rub; if the oil from those Scotch bonnets comes anywhere near sensitive skin, it burns like fire.
Makes 3/4 cup
• 1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped
• 3 scallions, chopped
• 1 Scotch bonnet, chopped
• 2 tbsp chopped thyme
• 2 tsp ground allspice
• 1½ tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ground cloves
• 1/2 tsp grated nutmeg
• 1/4 cup dark rum
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
Directions
1. Combine all the Jerk Rub ingredients in a blender and puree to a smooth, thick paste. Refrigerate until ready to use. Store any unused rub in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
2. Remove the backbone of each game hen by holding it upright, with the backbone facing you. Run a knife down either side to remove the bone, then lay it on its back and press on the breast to flat- ten the hen.
3. Rub the jerk rub on the game hens to coat evenly. (Wear gloves when working with the rub.) Transfer to a shallow pan, cover, and let marinate in the refrigerator for at least 8 and up to 12 hours.
4. Preheat a gas grill to medium. If you are using a charcoal grill, build a fire and let it burn down until the coals are glowing red with a moderate coating of white ash. Spread the coals in an even bed. Clean the cooking grate.
5. Brush off any excess rub from the game hens. Season the hens with the salt. Grill the game hens over direct heat until marked, about 4 minutes per side. Move the hens to indirect heat and continue to grill, covered and turning as needed, until cooked through (165°F), about 12 to 15 minutes more. (NOTE: Derek had to cook it a good deal more - he did about 12 minutes on each side and then had to bake it for about 10-15 minutes more...wanted to make sure the bird was completely cooked!!)
Marinating the meat overnight really makes a big difference!! The chicken was super tender, you could just tell by looking at it. Sometimes chicken has that separated/stringy look when you cut into it - but not this. This was more like the look of one of those processed deli meats that is perfectly blended together - not the best image (processed deli meat) but you get the picture.
The flavor of the chicken was very familiar to me, and I immediately pinpointed the source - my favorite rum drink at "Smuggler's Cove" - a rum/tiki bar in San Francisco. The drink contains good rum (obviously) and a mix of spices, predominately allspice. And wow - it's fantastic, just like the chicken.
Derek thought it could be a bit hotter - have a bit more sprice to it, and I wouldn't disagree - but only a tad bit more as there was a very pleasant heat that followed each bite.
To go with the Game Hens/Chicken, Derek planned Red Beans & Rice and Braised Swiss Chard.
Red Beans & Rice
recipe adapted from Bobby Flay's "Jamaican Rice and Peas"
Ingredients
3/4 cups dried red kidney beans, soaked overnight and drained, reserving 1 cup of bean water
1 clove garlic, smashed
1/2 cup chicken broth
1-2 green onions, thinly sliced, plus more for garnish
1/2 jalapeno pepper, chopped
1.5 sprigs fresh thyme
3/4 cups long grain brown rice
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Soak the dried beans in water overnight.
Place beans and garlic in a medium saucepan and cover with cold water. Bring to a simmer and cook until the beans are tender, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. (NOTE: Derek started the beans in the crock-pot as we went to the gym - that worked too!)
When the beans are tender, stir in the chicken broth, reserved bean water, green onions, jalapeno, and thyme, and increase the heat to a boil. Stir in the rice, cover the pot, and cook until the rice is tender and has absorbed most of the liquid. (NOTE: This took forever!!! Brown rice has an outer shell on it that makes it take a lot longer to cook that regular white rice - this tested our patience...and we ended up pulling the dish before the rice was completely done - we were hungry)
The flavor of the dish was really awesome - I was surprised by how much flavor came out of the simple ingredients that went into the dish. Really tasty. I wonder if you could slow cook the entire dish?
Braised Swiss Chard
Ingredients
1 tsp. butter
1 slice of bacon, finely chopped
1 bunch, red swiss chard, chopped (1 in. strip), stems and leaves divided
1 medium shallot, finely chopped (about 1/3 cup)
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
salt and pepper, to taste
Directions
Place butter and bacon bits in a deep pot/pan (we used our dutch oven) and cook until bacon is cooked and has rendered its fat. Remove a bit of the rendered fat (to your liking, but leave at least 1 tsp.)
Add the chard stems and cook for about 3-4 minutes (these are tougher than the leaves, this will give them a little head start).
Add the shallots and cook for about 2 minutes.
Now put the chopped swiss chard leaves into the pot, pour chicken broth, and apple cider vinegar and cook until the leaves cook down (about 3-4 minutes).
Turn the heat to low and cover the pot, letting the chard braise for about 20 minutes.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Yum. Something about cooked greens is always appealing to me. We ended up eating the whole pot, which I would say was probably about 4 servings, but, hey, it's vegetables. Derek said he could have had a little more bacon and things that the recipe could have used another 1/2 to full slice of bacon, as well as a touch of red pepper flakes. He didn't add the pepper flakes due to the heat of the meat, but for future executions with non-spicy meals, that would be tasty.
Sort of brought me back to Jamaica when we would go to the outside grill and have unlimited Jamaican Jerk chicken served to us - all-inclusive resorts are great...
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