对于大多数人来说，牙买加带来了美丽的海滩和雷鬼音乐。但是，当我想到牙买加时，我的想法首先浮现在岛上的辛辣，美味的美食中，尤其是混蛋鸡. Jerk is a dry, spicy method of cooking meat (usually chicken or pork), and it’s also the name of the hot, bitter, and sweet seasoning mixture that flavors the meat. The heat comes from Scotch bonnet chiles and fresh ginger, the bitterness from allspice and cloves, and the sweetness from cinnamon, onions, and scallions.

When I visit Jamaica, my favorite place to eat traditional jerk chicken is in Boston Bay. The guys in this northeastern region are jerk experts. Over a shallow pit in the ground, they build a rack of allspice tree branches. For fuel, they use more allspice branches (those that were used as racks the previous day), along with other wood. They butterfly a whole chicken, rub it with jerk seasoning, and cook it on the rack over a gentle fire. They cover the chicken with wood planks to trap the aroma and contribute even more smoky flavor. Using a big fork, the cook lifts and turns the chicken in one fluid motion, and then he shakes, or jerks, the fork free. (Some say this act of removing the fork is where jerk got its name, but I have my doubts.)

As much as I love Boston Bay jerk chicken, it’s a bit of a project to make at home. So my version uses chicken pieces instead of a butterflied bird and a grill instead of a pit. To mimic the smoky flavor of allspice branches, I’ve increased the allspice in the seasoning. Most Jamaicans wouldn’t be shy about using several Scotch bonnet chiles, but I’ve cut back the amount in the recipe below to tame the heat.

In addition to being a terrific marinade for grilled chicken or pork, jerk seasoning adds a note of complexity to stews, soups, and roasts, or even sauces. If you’re using the seasoning on grilled fish or seafood, use only a light coating and marinate for no more than 5 or 10 minutes.

当您在家准备混蛋时，贾马西亚米饭和豆类is a tasty side dish to serve with it.

Jerk seasoning ingredients

Depending on the amount of onions and scallions used, jerk seasoning can be a dry rub or a moister paste. Regardless, the seasoning should include these four ingredients:

Allspice
Known also as pimento and Jamaica pepper, allspice is indigenous to Jamaica. In fact, the island is one of the world’s largest suppliers of the spice. The berries look like peppercorns but taste like a blend of cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves, hence the name. In jerk seasoning, allspice delivers a nutty, slightly bitter flavor. Jamaicans usually buy whole berries and crack or grind them when needed, which is often. Allspice makes an appearance in almost every savory Jamaican dish I can think of, as well as in some alcoholic drinks.

苏格兰引擎盖辣椒
One of the hottest chiles in the world (some say the hottest), Scotch bonnets are irregularly shaped with color ranging in shades of green, yellow, orange, and red. This small chile looks very much like a habanero, which is sold in most supermarkets and which is a fine substitute. If you do find Scotch bonnets in the market, use care when handling them: wear gloves, remove the seeds and veins, and consider using less to start with. Some people claim to pick up a hint of sweetness through the fiery punch, but all I ever get is the punch.

Fresh ginger
牙买加人主要使用这种崎y的根茎，而不是用作地面粉。他们对洗涤它有一丝一丝不全的话，而不是剥皮，并且经常将皮肤留在原处。当我剥生姜时，我会使用勺子的边缘而不是刀的边缘，因为它更容易，更安全，并且不会浪费任何纤维肉。牙买加生姜具有独特的香气和辣的甜味，比在美国市场上出售的更刺激性。

Thyme
如果有一种在牙买加美食中主要是牙买加美食的草药，那就是百里香。在大多数牙买加菜肴中，在混蛋调味料中，百里香并没有大喊大叫，但以安静的方式却带来了其他所有事情。

了解更多…

要了解有关混蛋和牙买加烹饪的更多信息，马克·亨利推荐混蛋：牙买加的烧烤by Helen Willinsky andThe Real Taste of Jamaicaby Enid Donaldson.