Get the great flavors of the Caribbean without having to travel there. This chicken dish has more depth of flavor and is perfectly seasoned. Try with side dish of Caribbean Rice and Beans.
8 chicken drumsticks
Marinade:
2 T. olive oil
1 T. soy sauce
freshly squeezed juice of 1 lime (or ½ lemon), about 2 t.
1 onion, coarsely chopped
1 T. fresh ginger, chopped (or 1 t. dried ginger powder)
1 or more scotch bonnet peppers(very hot chili peppers commonly used in African and Caribbean cooking), or substitute with other chili peppers
6 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
2 t. salt
2 t. black pepper
3 T. dark brown sugar
½ T. cinnamon
½ T. allspice
½ t. nutmeg (freshly grated is best)
½ t. dried thyme or 1 sprig fresh thyme
Garnish:
fresh cilantro/coriander leaves, if desired
Do well in advance:
Wash chicken; pat dry with paper towels; place in a large ziplock bag.
Place marinade ingredients in a food processor; blend until smooth.Don't touch the Marinade with your bare hands to avoid getting chili on your hands.
Pour marinade into the ziplock bag; close the bag, squeezing out excess air. Massage the bag to disperse the marinade throughout the chicken. Marinate in the fridge for at least 4 hours, or up to 24 hours.
When ready to cook, remove chicken from the marinade, reserving the marinade.
Oven method:
Place a wire rack on a baking tray lined with foil. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Place the drumsticks on the rack; baste tops with half the marinade; bake 25 minutes. Turn the drumsticks over; baste tops with the remaining marinade; bake 20 - 25 minutes, until the drumsticks are very dark brown. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with coriander/cilantro, if desired.
BBQ/Grill method:
Preheat the grill side of the BBQ on medium (or medium low if your BBQ is strong). Brush the grill with oil, if required.
Place chicken on the grill; brush tops with one half of the marinade; cook 10 minutes; turn over. Brush tops with the remaining marinade; cook 5 - 8 minutes.
Turn chicken again, in order to cook the side that was just brushed with marinade; cook a few minutes.- total cook time is about 20 minutes.
Remove from the grill; let rest 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with coriander/cilantro, if desired.