Recipe: Jamaican Jerk Chicken Wings | Lifestyles

The recipes enclosed are inspired by my Jamaican heritage and belief that food should be healing and delicious.

Jamaican Jerk Chicken Wings Recipe

Serves 4

3lbs chicken wings`

1 cup Spur Tree Jerk Marinade (or any jerk marinade of your choice).

3 stalks green onions chopped

1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves (only leaves)

½ small onion, chopped

1 tablespoon fresh crushed garlic

½ tablespoon fresh crushed ginger

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 whole lemon (remove seeds)

¼ cup soaked, pimento wood chips, enclosed in foil (optional)

1. Place chicken wings in large bowl. Cover chicken with water and squeeze one whole lemon into the water (remove all seeds). Wash the chicken for about two minutes in the lemon water. Pat chicken dry. Pour Spur Tree Jamaican Jerk marinade or any other Jerk chicken marinade over the chicken. Massage the marinade into the chicken wings. Score small holes into the chicken wings with a fork or knife. Pour: olive oil, chopped thyme, chopped onions, crushed garlic, green onions and chopped ginger onto the chicken and massage for another two minutes. Place chicken into a freezer bag. Press all the air out of the bag. Place freezer bag into a second freezer bag. Store in fridge for a day or two, to deeply marinate the wings.
2. By the next day or two the marinated jerk wings will be ready for the oven or the grill. Bring to room temperature before cooking. Grill chicken until cooked thoroughly. For a deeper smokey authentic Jamaican taste, soak pimento wood chips and enclose in foil. Enclose the wet pimento chips in foil (poke a few holes into the foil) and place near the hot coals, but not actually touching the coals in the grill. I like to place my grilled wings in the oven for about another 35min or so after grilling, to ensure the wings are tender and cooked thoroughly.
3. Baking instructions: bake at 375 for about 50min to an hour on a cookie sheet, until cooked thoroughly and tender. Turn midway through cooking so both sides are browned.

Alicia Chestnut is executive director of SELMA, Selma Education Literacy Math & Arts nonprofit. She wrote this recipe for Around the Spiral Staircase publication for wives of state legislators. Chestnut is married to Rep. Prince Chestnut.