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Michael Walters

jerk chicken
S5E12 Caribbean · 2015
Where to find them

Michael Walters is co-partner at Art & Jakes Sports Bar and Grill in Newnan, Georgia — a small-town spot that is exactly as advertised, except for the jerk chicken, which is the part the locals will tell you about if you give them an opening.

Jerk is one of those dishes a Caribbean cook either knows in their hands or doesn't, and the marker is the scotch bonnet. Walters used real scotch bonnets, scored the chicken to let the marinade penetrate, and grilled it over pimento wood — or as close as Georgia gets to pimento wood — for the smoke. Bobby's jerk, per the broadcast, was "not spicy enough." Not spicy enough is a polite way of saying it was not jerk.

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jerk chicken

25 min Prep
40 min Cook
4 Serves
Ingredients
  • 4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 2 lbs total)
  • 3 scallions, roughly chopped
  • 1 medium yellow onion, quartered
  • 3 habanero peppers, stemmed and seeded
  • 2 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
  • 1 tbsp ground allspice
  • 1 tsp fresh grated nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
  • 3 tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp lime juice
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 tbsp brown sugar
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp kosher salt
Instructions
  1. Combine scallions, onion, habaneros, thyme, garlic, allspice, nutmeg, and cayenne in a food processor. Pulse until a coarse paste forms, about 8-10 pulses—you want texture, not a smooth purée.
  2. Add soy sauce, lime juice, vegetable oil, brown sugar, and salt to the processor. Pulse 3-4 times until incorporated; the marinade should be thick and chunky.
  3. Pat chicken thighs dry with paper towels. Score the skin in a crosshatch pattern with a sharp knife. Rub the jerk marinade all over each thigh, working it under the skin and into the scores. Place in a large zip-top bag or shallow dish, cover, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, ideally 8-12 hours.
  4. Remove chicken from refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking. Preheat oven to 425°F. Arrange chicken skin-side up on a rimmed baking sheet lined with foil, spacing pieces 2 inches apart. Reserve any excess marinade.
  5. Roast at 425°F for 25 minutes until the skin begins to char and crisp. Reduce heat to 375°F, brush chicken with reserved marinade, and continue roasting for 12-15 minutes until the thickest part of the thigh reaches 165°F on an instant-read thermometer.
  6. Remove from oven and rest for 5 minutes on the baking sheet. The skin should be deeply caramelized and charred in spots. Transfer to a serving plate and serve with lime wedges and rice and peas.
Inspired by Michael Walters’s winning jerk chicken. This is a plausible recreation, not the chef’s original recipe.
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