Habanero Hell Fires, or Jerk Chicken (recipe)

I found this Jerk Chicken recipe and was reminded of the good ole days when free feasting at awesome restaurants was still allowed. The ingredients were all on my diet so I thought I'd give it a try. I need some spicy chicken in my life.

As I'm throwing everything together the night before, I start questioning the Paleo diet. Spices? Aren't they considered processed?  Dried, blended, pummeled and contained seems like processing to me, but Paleo people use them all the time. I also read vinegar and salt are NOT Paleo. That makes sense, even though I've been using both since day one of starting this diet. But why aren't spices forbidden?

It matters not when one is attempting Jerk Chicken as without spices it would just be plain chicken which is rather boring. I do this diet for health so as long as the foods are on my diet, it doesn't matter to me if it's strictly Paleo or not. I like a new and exciting recipe.

The recipe calls for habanero peppers. I once had an Ecuadorean co-worker who would bring habanero-laced potluck dishes to work.  Full of cultural pride, she warned me they were the hottest pepper on the planet. The food she shared was superb so I've always had a special place in my heart for habaneros.

I've never had a problem cutting peppers or handling their seeds with bare hands until about a year ago. I sliced up a jalapeno and all was fine...at first. About thirty minutes later I made the mistake of scratching my nose. My nose started burning spreading to my sinuses, eyes and mouth. Then out of the blue my hands started burning with such intensity I thought they would fall off! The pain didn't stop until some time during the middle of the night.

Since that experience I always wear gloves while handling hot peppers. These habaneros were so strong I could feel the heat through the gloves. While cleaning up I felt a slight twinge of burning in one eye. Why? My hands weren't near my eye! This worried me. All of a sudden I felt unprepared. What have I done? I diced and seeded them on the counter, using knives, and put them in my blender. How do I clean this stuff without contaminating the sponge? Will it contaminate other foods with the oils? Should I never, ever remove my gloves?

I got online and read too many habanero hell stories, including stories of how the mist of habanero oil floating through the air can get into the eye! Few people had solutions for relief, but finally I began seeing some remedies. Ammonia, yellow mustard, and olive oil worked for some people, but not all. Soap and water will spread the oil and intensify the burning. Acid neutralizes the capsicum which is what causes the burning: lemon juice, lime juice or VINEGAR. How many thousands of uses does vinegar have??? I ran for the vinegar and nearly used a whole gallon to sterilize the counter tops, bowls, knives, sponges, sink, and blender. I was so afraid I washed everything down three times! Success! It worked. I'm still afraid of the garbage where the habanero seeds are waiting.

I also read some people have problems eating hot peppers although if one has enough stomach acid, that natural acid will neutralize the capsicum just like vinegar. Not enough stomach acid, drink vinegar or lemon juice. An alternative is drinking milk or eating a tablespoon of olive oil, but this doesn't work for everyone. There is a reason hot and spicy foods are often served with potatoes, rice or bread!

Jerk Chicken

Ingredients for the marinade:
2 limes, juice and zest
1/4 cup orange juice
1 tablespoon ground allspice
1/2 tablespoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 tablespoon ground black pepper
1/2 tablespoon salt
1/2 medium onion, diced
1/2 bunch green onions, white and green parts, sliced
2 cloves garlic
1 to 1 1/2 habaneros, seeded (depending on your level of courage)
2 tablespoons honey or other sweetener
2 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
1 1/2 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and grated
1/4 cup olive oil

The day before, mix all these ingredients together in a blender until it is a smooth paste. I find fresh thyme leaves difficult. Removing teeny little leaves off a teeny little stem tries my patience. However, I have six thyme bushes and rarely use this herb so this was an opportunity. Honey isn't on my diet but this recipe has a hot-tangy-sweet taste so some kind of sweetener is appropriate for those of you who aren't worried about blood sugar levels. The orange juice might be enough sweetness.

 

Take one chicken and butterfly it OR buy a bunch of chicken pieces, about two pounds worth. Put it in a large bowl and place the marinade sauce over it, mixing it up. Cover and place bowl in the refrigerator overnight.

Next day:
Remove chicken with sauce from the refrigerator and let sit to room temperature for one hour.

Preheat oven 375 degrees. Place chicken on a rack on top of a sheet pan or use a broiler pan. Spoon some extra marinade on the pieces and season with another 2 teaspoons of allspice and sprinkle with salt. Bake 50-60 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest 15 minutes before serving.

Mmmmm...perfectly spicy. The marinade sauce gets crispy and blackish. I ate mine with Kabocha squash. It took me a while to get brave enough to touch the chicken and until then I used a fork and knife to maneuver it.

Yum.