Some of the jerk fare at last year's Florida Jerk Festival. - photo by Barbara Ellington
A large section of the 7,500 strong crowdin attendance at the Florida Jerk Festival held at Markham Park, Florida, last year. - Contributed
They think they make the best jerk dishes, so here are their recipes. Wait for the result!The winner will get a round-trip ticket to the Florida Jerk Festival in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where he/she will go for the grand Dutch Pot Trophy in September.
Jamaican Jerk Chicken Fritters(by Loraine Moses)
1 1/2 cups jerk chicken breast shredded
2 cups flour
1 medium onion
1 medium tomato
2 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp paprika
2 stalks scallion
1/2 tsp wet jerk seasoning
1/2 tsp salt
3 tbsp oil for sautéing
Oil for frying
Pinch salt and white pepper
Yield: 36 fritters
How to paste garlic:
Peel garlic and place cloves on chopping board.
Use a chef knife or large knife to mince garlic as finely as possible.
Sprinkle the half teaspoon salt from the recipe and use the flat part of the knife towards the tip to press the garlic and salt to a paste. Set aside.
METHOD
1. Chop onion, scallion and tomato and combine.
2. Pour the three tablespoons oil into a large skillet on medium heat and sauté the chopped seasonings, pasted garlic and wet jerk seasoning.
3. Place the jerked chicken breast in a mixing bowl. To this, add flour and sufficient cold water to make a thin batter, stirring until smooth. Add the salt and white pepper.
4. Add the fried seasonings and paprika to the flour mixture. Incorporate well.
5. Have a skillet well heated with oil for shallow frying.
6. Spoon the batter into the skillet.
7. Fry until golden brown on both sides.
8. Drain on paper towels and keep in a warm oven until ready to serve.
Fritters must be served hot.
NB. This dish can be used as a breakfast, snack, cocktail or appetiser item. For the cocktail or appetiser item, the size of the fritter will be smaller in comparison to the snack or breakfast item.
Caecuis Scully's Hawaiian Jerk Chicken
Preparation time 35 minutes, plus overnight marinating.
Cooking time 1-2 hours
1/2 lb scallion
1/2 lb onion
Sprig of fresh thyme
2 scotch bonnet pepper deseeded
Jerk season
4 cloves garlic
2 oz pimento
2 oz ginger
2 bottles ginger ale
8 oz vinegar and lime
3 tbs salt
2 oz brown sugar
1 can pineapple juice
10 lb chicken
1 oz black pepper
Method
1. Clean, cut, trim and wash chicken with vinegar and lime juice.
2. Pat dry with napkin.
3. Blend all seasons with one bottle of ginger ale, half cup of pineapple juice with one ounce of sugar.
4. Rub salt, black pepper and jerk seasoning all over the pieces of chicken, and pour blended seasoning all over chicken and rub in sauce. Let chicken marinate overnight.
5. Jerk the chicken the next day for one hour to 2 hours. Add sauce, turning and blasting with marinade frequently, until chicken juices run clear when pierced. Sauce is ready to served when all juices are dried out.
Donnie Bunting's Longville Park Farms Herb Stuffed Tilapia
12 - 6 oz tilapia fillets (skin on)
5 oz scallion
8 oz onion
4 scotch-bonnet peppers
2 oz chicken stock powder
8 oz butter or margarine
18 sq ft aluminium foil
2 banana leaves (unblemished)
Method
1. Clean and coarsely chop the scallion and onions.
2. Finely chop the peppers, including the seeds.
3. Mix the chopped ingredients with the chicken stock powder. Fold in the butter with the mixed ingredients. 3. Divide this seasoning mix into 12 equal portions and coat the tilapia fillets on one side (flesh side).
4. Carefully enclose each fillet in a pre-cut piece of banana leaf, then wrap, package carefully with foil wrap.
5. Cook on a hot charcoal grill for 10-15 minutes. Foil will swell when fish is fully cooked.
