Cooking for two
About this court
- 1 small red onion
- 3 spring onions
- 2 small cloves of garlic
- 35 g fresh ginger
- 3 green chili peppers, 1/2 habanero chili (seeds removed)
- 2 TL Pimentpulver
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 1 TL Zimtpulver
- 1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 4 organic chicken drumsticks
- 1 red bell pepper
- 400g peeled pineapple
- 4 spring onions
- 1/2 bunch of coriander
- 1 small green chili pepper
- 1-2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- Juice of 1 lime
- Salt
- freshly ground black pepper
- 1 Avocado
- For the marinade, peel and finely chop the red onion. Trim and finely chop the spring onions. Peel the garlic cloves. Peel and finely chop the ginger. Halve and deseed the chili peppers. (If you like it very spicy, you can leave all or some of the seeds in.) Blend the prepared ingredients in a blender with the remaining marinade ingredients.
- Cut the chicken drumsticks in half at the joint. Make several shallow cuts on the skin side, down to the bone, to allow the marinade to penetrate the meat. Place the chicken in a bowl and pour the jerk marinade over it. Mix everything thoroughly and marinate overnight in the refrigerator, covered.
- For the salsa, grill the bell pepper on a very hot grill until very charred on all sides. Place it in a bowl, cover with a plate, and steam for 10 minutes. Then peel off the skin and remove the seeds. Dice the bell pepper.
- Cut the pineapple into slices about 1 cm thick. Grill over high heat on both sides (4–5 minutes). Then let cool.
- Set aside two pineapple slices and dice the rest. Trim the spring onions and slice them into thin rings. Pluck the coriander leaves from the stems and chop them. Deseed and finely chop the chili pepper. Combine all the ingredients in a bowl. Add the sugar, oil, and lime juice, and season with salt and pepper. Let it marinate for at least one hour, then taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
- To finish, reheat the grill to medium heat. Remove the chicken pieces from the marinade and grill them on the grill for 10–12 minutes, turning frequently, but with the lid on.
- Meanwhile, halve the avocado, remove the pit, rub the cut surfaces with a little oil, and season with salt and pepper. Grill the avocado cut-side down next to the chicken for 4 minutes, turn it over, and grill for another 3 minutes.
- Briefly warm the reserved pineapple slices on the grill. Arrange them on plates with the chicken and avocado, and serve with the pineapple salsa.
Jerk is Jamaica's national dish, traditionally grilled over an open fire or charcoal. The fruity and spicy marinade is usually made with fiery Scotch Bonnet chilies. But jerk isn't just hot; allspice and cinnamon give it a wonderful aroma, while lime juice and sugar add freshness and sweetness. "To balance the heat, we've included a fruity salsa made with pineapple, bell peppers, and avocado in our 'Cooking for Two' recipe," explains Oliver Trific. It's not the original recipe, but it's perfect for a small barbecue for two.
General
PREPARATION TIME 60 minutes plus 1 night marinating time for the chicken and 1 hour marinating time for the salsa.
Tips
- It takes a little practice, but if you find the right spot at the joint of the leg, it can be easily halved without any effort. To allow the marinade to penetrate properly, the meat is cut deeply several times.
- Of course, you can also use pineapple without grilling it, but the intense heat caramelizes the sugar, making the pineapple less sweet and resulting in more complex flavors. It also enhances the fruitiness and makes the texture more pleasant. Grilled pineapple also makes a delicious dessert: seasoned with a little allspice and garnished with sweetened lime crème fraîche, it's a wonderful way to finish a barbecue.
- Double benefit: Roasting the peppers on the grill creates a wonderful aroma, and removing the skin makes them easier to digest. If you want to roast peppers outside of grilling season, place them under the oven broiler. If you cook on a gas stove, you can also place the peppers directly on the flame. However, it's always important to briefly steam the peppers after roasting, as described in the recipe, so that the skin can be peeled off more easily.
Wine recommendation from Johannes Schellhorn and Willi Schlögl from Bar Freundschaft, Berlin
Herbert Zillinger, Weinviertel, Lower Austria: A wild, cloudy cuvée of Pinot Blanc, the acidifying Welschriesling, and of course the region's star grape, Grüner Veltliner. Biodynamic farming, spontaneous fermentation, aging in stainless steel tanks, and the perfect balance of sediment and acidity. The fruit is unclouded on the palate; an honest wine that not only binds the aromas of this fusion dish but also buffers them perfectly.
Oliver's kitchen tip
Leftovers taste just as good the next day; simply remove the meat from the bone and, while still warm, wrap it with the salsa in fresh corn tortillas – so feel free to prepare twice the amount.