This week the winner of Taste of Harmony competition Sundtee from Target Gold Coast had three hours learning how to cook Jamaican food using our products. One of the things I love most about doing cooking classes is learning about other people’s cultural background, and the exchange of knowledge and techniques Sundtee’s background is Thai/Australian.
We shared some exchanges in recipes and stories of Thailand, I love Thai food, the sweat and cleansing experience you get from the full on fresh ingredients.
We started the class with a tradition of mine…
1. Pop on the beanie
2. Crank up the reggae
3. Open a beer
4. Start cooking
The best introduction I could give Sundtee so he could easily replicate Jamaican cooking using our Jamaican consulate certified products and recipes was to show him how to cook Jamaican Beer Can Chicken & Spiced Rice N Peas. Sooo easy and packed full of flavour, it’s a really good winter comfort dinner and great alternative to roast chicken.
The core ingredients; chicken, beer, The Ja Joint Jamaican Jerk Rub & Jamaican BBQ Sauce
Ingredients (4 people)
2 x 1.7kilo chickens
2 x 375ml Fosters
200g Jamaican Jerk Rub
330ml Jamaican BBQ Sauce
2 cups white rice
1.5 cups coconut cream
1 cup red kidney beans
2 x cloves garlic
1 hot chilli
Fresh thyme
1/2 lemon
2 carrots
1/4 red cabbage
1 red capsicum
Apple cider vinegar
Mayonnaise
Sugar, salt, pepper
Method
Beer Can Chicken
- Open beer cans and drink 1/3
- Crank oven to 220 degrees
- Rub oil all over chickens
- Cover Jamaican Jerk Rub over entire chicken ( 6 tbl)
- Place your chicken on top of the beer can so it sits over the entire can (insert in the cavity)
- Place on baking tray, pop in oven for 1 hour
Spiced Rice N Peas
- After chicken has been in for 20 min start prepping your rice
- Wash 2 cups of white rice until starch is out
- Place in saucepan, with 1.5 cups coconut cream, 2 cups water, salt, pepper, 1/2 chilli and 2 cloves of garlic
- Bring to boil, reduce heat lowest point, cover with lid, stir every 10 min
- Rice should take 30/40 min
- Once cooked, well seasoned place aside
Slaw
- Whilst rice and chicken is doing it’s thing get onto the slaw
- Grate carrots, cut capsicum and red cabbage, mix together
- Make tangy dressing, small amount apple cider vinegar, sugar, salt, pepper and mayonnaise
- Mix together ensuring it’s really light and tangy, dress slaw, put aside
Back to the chicken
- After 1 hour it should be ready and smelling super awesome!
- Bring out the chickens, cut near the leg to check it’s cooked (juices clear)
- Baste Jamaican BBQ Sauce all over the chickens generously, this will give it a super sweet, spicy crispy skin
- Pop back in for 5 min
Serve up the feast
- Bring out the chickens, remove from beer cans ( you will need two people can be a tad tricky)
- Place on a board, and break up the chickens into portions
- Dress chicken with scrummy gravy in the tray, lemon, chilli and fresh thyme and serve on the board
- Serve spiced rice N peas, slaw and Jamaican BBQ Sauce and you will be in heaven.
To make our Jamaican Feast using our products purchase our Jamaican Jerk Feast kit here. Enjoy!
Carly x
Follow our journey…