Barbecued brick jerk chicken

Ingredients

• 1 free-range chicken
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• Chargrilled lime halves, to serve

Jerk sauce

• 1 bunch coriander stalks
• ¼ bunch thyme
• 5 garlic cloves
• 1 thumb size piece of ginger, peeled
• 2 green chillies
• 3 French shallots
• 1 tbsp ground allspice
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• zest of 1 lime
• Juice of 2 limes
• 50 ml apple cider vinegar
• 50 ml lime juice
• 1 tbsp honey
• 2 tbsp olive oil

Skill Level

Easy

Method

Preheat the barbecue to medium. Wrap 2 standard bricks or pavers in a double layer of foil like you would a birthday present.

For the jerk sauce, blitz everything in the food processor until smooth. 

To butterfly the chicken, use a pair of kitchen scissors to cut down both sides of the backbone, then discard or keep for stock (if you’re not sure how to do it, check it out on youtube it, it’s simple! Alternatively, ask your butcher to do it for you).

Season the chicken with salt and pepper and bang it on the grill, skin-side down. Now this is where your bricks come into play. Place them gently on top of the chicken which will press it down. This will do 2 things -ensure the chicken is cooked evenly and that your bird has the crispiest of skin.  Cook for 12 minutes, then remove the brick and baste the chicken with the jerk sauce. Flip it to the flesh side, give it another baste with the jerk goodness and cover with the bricks again. Cook for another 12 minutes or until cooked through. Rest in a warm place for 10 minutes before serving with chargrilled lime halves.