Tonight, it's that Jamaican classic: Rice & Peas with Jerk Chicken ...
Jerk Chicken
My jerk sauce is simple: crushed up Scotch Bonnet peppers, spring onions, sea salt, fresh thyme and olive oil. Massage into the chicken (I went with some drumsticks), slashed ... and commit to the oven for about an hour at 200C (400F?), turning over once during the cooking.
... which leaves us perfectly sufficient time to cook the Rice & Peas.
Rice & Peas
Rice & Peas should not be rushed. Personally, I think of it like a Pilaf but with coconut milk in place of the stock, and if you keep that in mind your Rice & Peas will come out perfect!
Take a large skillet and soften some finely chopped onion in butter.
Add the rice (remember, rice will swell up during cooking, so have a sufficient sized skillet) for which I go with a ramekin amount per person, which will make plenty for a dinner and plenty left over. Just allow the rice to get coated in the remaining butter.
Add a pint of chicken stock and boil hard and fast for about five minutes after which the liquid will be slightly reduced and the rice well on its way.
Add in a 400g can of coconut milk and a 400g can of gungo beans. That's the peas.
Low heat and very gently simmer for the remainder of the time it takes to cook the chicken through. If your rice is fully cooked, just add as splash of water to keep it going until you're ready.
Serve
Serve out a mound of Rice & Peas and lay the chicken alongside.
Drink? Guinness, of course, in my case a pack of Foreign Extra from the Nigerian brewery. Awesome!
Anyone else experimenting with legumes in their primal paradigm?
Breakfast
Leftovers. Breakfast is leftovers ... and something easy enough to come by, say some eggs or a fish.
Sprats for me! I love 'em! Whole, heads, guts in, the lot ... so does my mog, especially the crunchy heads.
