Jerk Sauce Recipes that Transport You Home
Nothing says Caribbean flavour quite like jerk sauce. So, we’re sharing some must-have, mouth-watering recipes to satisfy the Caribbean in you.
The Caribbean is known for four main things, its sights, sounds, people, and flavours. Flavours like the mouthwatering taste of succulent meat, fish, or vegetables, slow-grilled over charcoal and permeated with the smoke of charred pimento wood. Flavours like Jerk.
Derived from the Indo-Spanish word for dehydrated meat, ‘Charqui’, jerk is not only a flavor but a method of cooking that is as enduring as its taste. Historians believe that surviving Tainos joined forces with runaway slaves, Maroons, to swap cooking secrets - and today we’re grateful the cat’s out the bag. While jerking foods as a cooking style has a long history and countries in the region call it different things, like ‘Poulet boucané’ in French-Caribbean lands, the fundamental makeup of the seasonings are the same.
Scallions, onions, scotch bonnet peppers, salt, thyme, allspice, black pepper, pimento, garlic, and the list goes on. True, these are simple ingredients to find at your local grocery store, but the blend is so intoxicatingly complex, that it’s best to trust the professionals. Professionals who have spent months, even years perfecting their blends and adding their own twists to the recipe to create tantalizing jerk sauces that will transport you to the iconic Portland’s Boston Beach in minutes. If you can’t make the trip to this Jamaican hideaway or you don’t have space to set up a jerk pan at home, here are some tried-and-true, plus out-of-the-box dishes you can make using jerk sauce. All guaranteed to put a satisfied smile on your face and maybe a few tears in your eyes (from the spice, of course!).
Jerk Sauce Chicken
INGREDIENTS:
- 6 chicken breasts or thighs
- 3 tbsp Portland Authentic Jerk Seasoning Hot & Spicy (Also available in Mild)
- 1 tsp salt to taste
- 1 tsp black pepper to taste
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil
DIRECTIONS:
Combine all ingredients together in a bowl, mix well and let the chicken marinate in the fridge for 4 to 24 hours.
Cook chicken in the oven at 375˚F for 30 mins, turning once. Chicken can also be cooked on the grill with medium heat turning often until done.
SERVING:
Choose the pieces of chicken you desire and add Portland Authentic Jerk Sauce, serving it with festivals, rice and peas, breadfruit, plantains, or whatever you desire.
Jerk Sauce on Jackfruit
For our vegan/vegetarian yaadies, this one's for you.
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 tin/jar of jackfruit (about 3 cups)
- 3 cups Eaton's Jerk Seasoning
- 2 tablespoons Benjamins Barbecue Jerk Sauce
DIRECTIONS:
Combine all ingredients together in a bowl, mix well and let the chicken marinate in the fridge for 4 to 24 hours.
Cook chicken in the oven at 375˚F for 30 mins, turning once. Chicken can also be cooked on the grill with medium heat turning often until done.
SERVING:
Choose the pieces of chicken you desire and add Portland Authentic Jerk Sauce, serving it with festivals, rice and peas, breadfruit, plantains, or whatever you desire.
Jerk Alfredo Pasta
A go-to pasta dish for most, alfredo is a classic choice. But what if you jazzed it up with some Jamaican flavor? See how below:
INGREDIENTS:
- 8-ounce pasta (penne, linguine, or fettuccine)
- 4 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese shredded
- 4 tablespoons Wise Buy Royalty Jerk Seasoning
- 1/4 teaspoon salt or to taste 1/4 teaspoon pepper or to taste
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped
DIRECTIONS:
Cook the pasta according to the package instructions.
Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, or until fragrant.
Pour in the milk and cream. Stir consistently to avoid burning on the bottom of the pan until the mixture comes to a boil. Turn the heat down to medium, and mix in the parmesan cheese, Wise Buy Royalty Jerk Seasoning, salt, and pepper. Adjust the seasoning to your own taste.
Remove the pan from the heat and mix in the cooked pasta until the sauce begins to thicken. Garnish with parsley, and serve.
Jerk Shrimp
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 large clove of garlic
- 1 teaspoon coarse salt
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 2 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 3 tablespoons Empty Plates by Lisa Mango Jerk Sauce
- 8 wedges of lemon, for garnish
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the grill to medium heat.
In a small bowl, crush the garlic with the salt. Mix in cayenne pepper and paprika, and then stir in olive oil and lemon juice to form a paste. In a large bowl, toss shrimp with garlic paste until evenly coated.
Lightly oil grill grate. Cook shrimp for 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until opaque.
Quickly glaze shrimp with Empty Plates by Lisa Mango Jerk Sauce.
Transfer to a serving dish, garnish with lemon wedges and serve.
These recipes are only a few out of the hundreds of recipes you can make with these delicious jerk sauces.
Other proteins like beef, pork, fish, goat, squid, and most firm vegetables are also excellent foods to smoother in jerk sauce and grill or bake for a fancy dinner or an easy lunch.
To find other delectable jerk sauces, seasonings, jams, and dry rubs visit the Caribbean’s largest marketplace for nostalgic Jamaican flavours, Caribshopper.com, where we bring you closer to home with every bite!
Sources
https://gracefoods.ca/cooking-with-grace/jerk-dishes/jerk-chicken/
https://theveganlarder.com/jamaican-jerk-jackfruit-with-rice-and-peas/
https://cravinghomecooked.com/easy-pasta-alfredo/
https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/12775/spicy-grilled-shrimp/
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