Sweet & Spicy Slow Cooked Jerk Chicken Recipe

Ingredients

500g diced chicken leg
1 tbsp coconut, sunflower or olive oil
1 red onion
1 green pepper
3 spring onions
3 garlic cloves
1 pineapple
½-1 tbsp Jamaican jerk seasoning
1 tbsp Demerara sugar
50g tamari
A handful of thyme
¼-1 habanero chilli (optional)
300g white basmati rice
400-600ml cold water
Sea salt
600ml boiling water
2 tbsp water (optional)

Add as much spice as you like to this stew of organic chicken simmered with seasonal veg, sweet pineapple and tangy tamari. Jamaican jerk seasoning brings the aromatic heat, and dedicated chilli fans can add a pinch of hot habanero to pack a bigger punch.

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Method

1. Chop any large pieces of chicken into bite-size chunks. Warm a frying pan (or large pan if you're cooking this on the hob) over a medium heat for 2 mins, then add 1 tbsp oil and the chicken. Fry for 8 mins, turning once or twice, till the chicken is browned all over.

2. While the chicken fries, peel and finely chop the onion. Halve the pepper, scoop out the seeds and white pith and roughly chop it. From this point on, follow the method for the slow cooker or the hob.

3. In the slow cooker: Scoop the chicken out of the frying pan and add it to a 31/2 ltr slow cooker. Add the onion and pepper to the slow cooker. Trim the roots and top 1-2cm off the spring onions, then finely slice them, white and green parts. Peel and crush the garlic. Stir them into the chicken and veg.

4. Slice the leaves off the pineapple and slice off the skin. Use the tip of a small, sharp knife to scoop out any tough ‘eyes’ left behind in the pineapple flesh. Roughly chop the flesh, discarding any woody bits of core. Add the pineapple to the slow cooker.

5. Measure out 1/2-1 tbsp Jamaican jerk seasoning and add to the slow cooker - it's spicy, so use more or less seasoning depending on how strong a spice kick you want in the final dish. Add the Demerara sugar and the tamari and drop in the thyme sprigs.

6. If you are using the habanero chilli, halve it and scoop out the seeds and white pith. Either drop in both halves, one half or a quarter of the chilli. It is really spicy, so just use a quarter if you don't want too much chilli heat.

7. Pour in 400ml water and add a pinch of salt. Cover, set the slow cooker to medium and cook for 8 hrs. Alternatively, set to low and cook for 10-12 hrs or go high and cook for 4-5 hrs.

8. When the chicken has 30 mins left to cook, rinse the rice under cold water. Tip it into a pan. Add 600ml boiling water and a pinch of salt. Cover. Bring to the boil, then turn the heat right down. Very gently simmer over a low heat for 8-10 mins till the water has been absorbed. Take off the heat. Set aside, lid on, for 5 mins to finish cooking the rice.

9. Fluff the rice and divide between four warm bowls or plates. Lift the thyme sprigs and the haberno chilli out of the slow cooker. Taste the chicken and add a pinch more salt if you think it need sit. Spoon the chicken over the rice and serve.

10. On the hob: Scoop the chicken out of the frying pan and pop it on a plate. Add the onion and pepper to the pan with 2 tbsp water, set the heat to low and fry, stirring often, for 10 mins till they soften. Add a splash more water if it starts to dry out and stick.

11. While the veg fry, trim the roots and top 1-2cm off the spring onions, then finely slice them, white and green parts. Peel and crush the garlic. Stir them into the veg. Fry, stirring for 5 mins.

12. Slice the leaves off the pineapple and slice off the skin. Use the tip of a small, sharp knife to scoop out any tough ‘eyes’ left behind in the pineapple flesh. Roughly chop the flesh, discarding any woody bits of core. Add the pineapple to the pan. Tip the chicken back in with any juices from the plate.

13. Measure out 1/2-1 tbsp Jamaican jerk seasoning and add to the slow cooker - it's spicy, so use more or less seasoning depending on how strong a spice kick you want in the final dish. Add the Demerara sugar and the tamari and drop in the thyme sprigs.

14. If you are using the habanero chilli, halve it and scoop out the seeds and white pith. Either drop in both halves, one half or a quarter of the chilli. It is really spicy, so just use a quarter if you don't want too much chilli heat.

15. Pour in 600ml water, cover and turn the heat up. Bring to the boil, then turn the heat down to medium and simmer for 30 mins. While the stew simmers, cook the rice following the method overleaf.

16. Fluff the rice and divide between four warm bowls or plates. Lift the thyme sprigs and the haberno chilli out of the pan. Taste the chicken and add a pinch more salt if you think it need sit. Spoon the chicken over the rice and serve.

17. Eat & keep tip: You can keep the stew in the fridge for a couple of days, or freeze for up to 3 months. Simply divide the stew between individual containers, cool, then seal and chill or freeze. The rice is best cooked as you need it, rather than freezing. Allow 50-75g rice per person when you're cooking it, and simmer it for 8-10 mins in double the volume of water. So, for 50g rice, simmer it in 100ml water.