Success!

Oh yes, some days the stars align and all comes together in just the right way.  Last night I completed the Baked Jerk Chicken recipe, and I’m not going to lie – I completely get off on cooking something new when it works out…afterglow and all.  Not only did the chicken bake to perfection, all the dishes made and brought were a perfect compliment. 

The side dishes were great, and I will try to get the recipes from the girls for these dishes.  First we had a peach mango salsa to get the juices flowing & some rum punch and Red Strip beer for cocktails.  Jen made a raw vegetable slaw with a spicy citrus ginger dressing that was cool, fresh, and sparkly.  Kate made savory sweet yellow rice with mago and cilantro.  These incredibly refreshing sides balance the heavy savory spiced chicken.  Dessert was a whipped cream & rum tower of fruity, nutty, gingery goodness.  The best part, of course, is the company!  There is no substitute for lively conversation, laughter, and the company of great people. 

So I finally got the chicken in the oven at 6…the recipe said to bake for 1 hour, 20 minutes at 350*, then broil to crisp the skin.  However, I baked the chicken at 375* for 30 minutes, and then 350* for the remainder of the time, and I never broiled it.  I did this because I didn’t want to burn it by accident in the last 5 minutes.  The skin was crispy and brown, and the meat was fall-off-the-bone good.  When all was said and done, it smelled so good that we got right to eating and I forgot to take a picture!  All that was left was two breast pieces and a lot of bones when I finally remembered to document it.  Once I got the pic, all I hear is Tara say, “now can I get back to making love to my chicken?”  Life is good.     

Here is the link to the recipe I used from allrecipes.com for this mouth watering baked jerk chicken…

Perfect Baked Jerk Chicken

Changes I made:  1.  quadruple the spice rub mix.  2.  choose loose chicken parts according to the crowds taste, but 1 whole chicken is not enough for 6, especially if everyone wants dark meat, or white meat. 

I think the rest is spot on.