JAMAICAN JERK CHICKEN WITH COCO RICE & FRIED PLANTAINS

A taste of the Caribbean, right in your home kitchen! Perfect accompaniments to this whole roasted chicken and the classic fried plantain and delicious coconut rice.

INGREDIENTS

1 Marinated Whole Chicken
2 cups Jasmine Rice
14oz Coconut Milk
1 cup Water
5 tsp Sugar
1/2 tsp Salt
Canola Oil
2 Green Plantains

for the rice:

2 cups basmati rice
3.5 cups chicken stock or water
2 tsp salt

INSTRUCTIONS

Start by cooking your chicken. Place it in a roasting pan and place in a 400* oven for 60 minutes. During the last 15 minutes, keep an eye on the skin so it does not burn. If it begins to get dark, just top it with some aluminum foil. Make sure it reaches the required internal temperature of 165*. If it needs more time, lower the temp to 325* and let it ride until its done. Remove from the oven and let it rest for at least 10 minutes.

For the rice, place the jasmine rice in a large bowl and cover with cold water. Let it soak for 5 minutes before straining off the water and repeating this process 3 more times. After the fourth soak, strain the rice and place it in casserole dish. Combine the coconut milk, water, sugar and salt in a pan and bring to a simmer to dissolve the dry. Once at a simmer, pour over the rice and stir to allow it to set in, cover the dish with foil and place in a 200* oven for 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow it to rest for MINIMUM 10 minutes. After its rested, fluff it with a fork and serve.

For the Plantains, peel them and discard the peel. Slice the platains into 1/2inch rounds. Put about a half inch worth of canola oil in a non-stick pan and place over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, working in small batches, place the plantain rounds into the oil and fry them until brown and caramelized. Remove them from the oil and place on a rack or towel to dry, and sprinkle with some sea salt. Repeat til all plantains are fried.