CEiMB: Chicken with Jerk Sauce and Cool Pineapple Salsa

I probably would not have chosen to make this recipe myself … mostly because E. doesn’t like his food too hot and finds fruit with meat a little weird. However, I was glad to see it come up as the weekly Craving Ellie in My Belly recipe so I would have the excuse to try it for myself. This weeks pick was by Jenn from Notes From the Table.

I was also happy to note that the recipe contains THREE ingredients that I have growing in my garden … hierba buena, which is not EXACTLY the “mint” that is called for in the recipe, but is more like a “spearmint” which a lot of of the local housewives grow in their “garden”; chives, which are also not exactly the “scallions” that are called for in the recipe, but I love to use things I have grown myself if absolutely possible (it makes me feel like a “pioneer”) and I figured in this case it was close enough; and lemons, which are not EXACTLY the “limes” that are called for, but these lemons are green and I have still to find the difference between a green lemon and a lime.

I also thought this was the perfect opportunity to try the light, lemony Doncella Honey that I had bought recently from a travelling honey saleswoman.

One of the great things about Ellie’s recipes is that they are so fast and easy to make. Taking the photos is sometimes more time consuming than producing the actual recipe!

Chicken with Jerk Sauce and Cool Pineapple Salsa

Recipe By: 2007, Ellie Krieger, All rights reserved
Serving Size: 4

Ingredients:

For the salsa:
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 cup finely diced pineapple
1/3 cup finely diced ; seeded English cucumber
1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint leaves

For the chicken:
4 teaspoons olive oil ; divided
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves ; about 5 ounces each, pounded to 1/2-inch thick
1 cup chopped scallions ; (about 6 scallions)
1/2 Scotch bonnet or habanero chile pepper ; seeded and finely minced (wear gloves when handling)
1 clove garlic ; minced
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger ; or 1/4 teaspoon ground
1 teaspoon allspice
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh thyme or 1/2 teaspoon dried
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons lime juice

Instructions

For the salsa:

In a small bowl whisk together the honey and the lime juice.

Combine the pineapple, cucumber and mint in a medium bowl, pour the dressing over and toss to combine.

Set aside.

For the chicken:

Heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil in a large skillet over a medium-high heat. Add the chicken breasts and cook for about 4 minutes on each side, or until browned and cooked through.

Transfer the chicken to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm.

Add the remaining 2 teaspoons of oil to the pan. Stir in the scallions, pepper, garlic, ginger, allspice, and thyme.

Cook for 30 seconds over a medium heat. Add the chicken broth and soy sauce and cook until liquid is reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Stir in the lime juice.

(I somehow missed getting a photo of this step)

Put the chicken back in the pan and coat well with the sauce. (Since I forgot to flatten the breasts a bit before cooking them, I decided to actually put them back into the sauce and let them simmer for a few minutes).

Serve with the pineapple salsa.

Verdict:

I loved it! Shortly after starting to cook the chicken, I realized that I had forgotten to flatten out the breasts, and I was sorry that I hadn’t. In the end, it probably didn’t make a lot of difference, and it might have been the reason that the chicken was so juicy and moist. I served it with fluffy white rice which seemed to be the perfect backdrop for the exciting blend of flavors … the coolness of the salsa with the spicy heat of the jerk sauce. But what is more surprising is that E. liked it as well … he ate it all and said that yes, he would be happy to have it again!

To see how other bloggers are preparing this dish go to the Craving Ellie Blogroll.