Jamaican jerk chicken

This is seriously hot. Although traditionally served with rice and peas, it’s also good with a baked potato topped with sour cream and chives.

6 large chicken legs, cut into drumsticks and thighs
Juice of 2 limes
Salt and pepper
100 ml white vinegar
2 Scotch bonnet chillies, or 4 red chillies, or 2 tbsp bottled jalapeños
6 spring onions, trimmed and roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
2 tbsp sunflower oil
1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves or 1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp salt
Half tsp black pepper
2 tsp each ground allspice, cinnamon and ginger
1 tbsp dark brown sugar

Put the chicken pieces into a large baking dish, pour the lime juice over, season with salt and pepper and let them stand for half an hour.

Put the rest of the ingredients into a processor or blender and whizz to a paste. Wearing gloves, spread the paste over the chicken and rub it well in, then cover the dish with cling film and marinate in the fridge for at least four hours, but preferably overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350ºC. Put the dish in the oven and roast until the chicken is cooked through, and the juices run clear when prodded with a sharp knife, after about 30 minutes. Transfer to a warm serving dish, cover and keep warm.

To make a sauce, skim off the fat, then scrape the residue from the dish into a pan. Stir in 100 ml chicken stock, two tablespoons of tomato ketchup, two tablespoons of dark rum and one tablespoon of soy sauce and bring to the boil. Thicken with a little cornflour dissolved in water and simmer for five minutes.

Serve the chicken with traditional rice and peas, or with baked potatoes and a fresh green salad. (Serves four)