We came up with this jerk seasoning recipe the year we lived in Brixton.  Before that we had never really tried jerk seasoning unless it came out of a Dunn’s River jar (which we aren’t shirking: it is delicious and can definitely be a good substitute for the burger recipe below).

Away from the chic new restaurants of Brixton Village, you can walk into some of the most interesting and unassuming shops cooking the best jerk chicken imaginable.

As part of a christmas present and the reflect the area that we lived in we did some research into what made the best jerk seasoning recipe, taking inspiration from other blogs and websites.

The seasoning we have ended up with goes perfectly coating a succulent chicken breast or salmon fillet, as well as burgers (recipe below).  As in a pervious post about spices we suggest going to Aziz Cash and Carry on Electric Avenue for all the ingredients you might need.

Warning – Don’t sniff this seasoning when it is done: dried scotch bonnet powder up your nose is not something you will forgot easily!

Jerk Seasoning
(make one large jar)

2 Tbsp dried thyme

2 cinnamon sticks milled or 1 tbsp cinnamon powder

2 Tbsp died coriander leaves

1 Tsp crushed coriander seeds

2 Tbsp crushed black peppercorn

1 Tsp ground nutmeg

3 Tsp allspice

1 Tbsp dried garlic flakes (available in Aziz)

4 Dried scotch bonnets

half a thumb of dried ginger

dried zest of two limes (zest and leave on a plate for a couple of days to dry)

Instructions

First, to dry the scotch bonnets and ginger, preheat the oven to 175C. Slice the ginger thinly as possible and place on a baking tray lined with greaseproof paper. Chop scotch bonnets into 1cm square chunks and deseed, place cut side down on the greaseproof paper and cook both for 6-8 hours till dried.

Mix all ingredients together a large bowl or a blender. Mix or whiz them together making sure that the mix is evenly combined and of the same consistency.

Pour into a clean dry jar and you can keep this for up to 6 months.

 

Jerk Burgers with caramelised red onions and simple green salad.

makes 4 – 6 burgers

Ingredients

500g beef mince

1/2 chopped onion

1 tbsp jerk seasoning

1 egg

2 red onions

2 tbsp brown sugar

1-2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Salad recipe here.

Burger buns

 

Instructions

Add the mince, chopped onion, jerk seasoning and egg to a bowl and combine. Leave to the side whilst you prep the onions.

Half and slice the onions and add to a saucepan on a low heat with 1tbsp olive oil; cook slowly for 15-20 minutes.

Returning to the burger, shape the mixture into 4-6 patties (depending on how chunky you want them). Lightly oil a frying pan with sunflower oil and place on a medium heat. Cook the burgers for 5 minutes on each side till brown and caramelised.

Whilst the burgers are cooking add the sugar and vinegar to the onions and continue to cook for another 5 – 1o mins.

To build the burgers simply add the patties to the buns with slice of fresh tomatoes and a spoon full of caramelised onions and any other condiments you like.

Enjoy!

h&h