Jerk Chicken with Avocado and Papaya Salad

In the Jamaican airport I bought myself a cookbook called Eat Caribbean by Virginia Burke to read on the plane.  It's fabulous--full of colorful photographs and delicious recipes.  I read the whole thing by the end of the second flight, and already knew I wanted to try jerk chicken right away.  Since Ben and I are trying to eat more lightly for spring, I decided to opt for the recipe with jerk chicken on top of a tropical avocado and papaya salad.  (Have I mentioned how much I love papayas?  If you don't, or you can't find one, I bet this would be great with grapefruit, too.)

The jerk seasoning has a lot of ingredients, but is super quick to make.  This recipe makes about 2/3 of a cup, so you can store the extra in your fridge and try it on other meats or seafood.  I am pretty much dying to try jerk everything.  The cookbook even has a recipe for jerk hamburgers!  How fabulous does that sound?

This salad was a wonderful light dinner.  The citrusy dressing, creamy avocado, sweet papaya, and spiced chicken complement each other perfectly.  I will definitely be making this again soon!

This recipe is adapted from Eat Caribbean and serves 3-4.

Ingredients for the jerk seasoning:

6 scallions, trimmed
1-3 scotch bonnet or habanero peppers, seeded and trimmed (I chickened out and used half a pepper, and it wasn't hot at all.  So I recommend using at least one whole pepper!)
1 teaspoon allspice
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme or 1/2 tablespoon dried thyme
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup cane, malt, or apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon oil

Blend all ingredients in the food processor to form a paste.  Store in the refrigerator.

Ingredients for the jerk chicken:

8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 1.5 pounds)
Salt or lime juice
1-2 tablespoons jerk seasoning (The recipe called for 1, but I thought the chicken could have used more flavor)
1 tablespoon oil, plus some for cooking

Prepare a bowl of salt water, or water with the juice of 1 lime, and rinse the chicken pieces in it.  Pat dry.  Rub the chicken with the jerk seasoning and oil, and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, or overnight.

Heat a bit of oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the chicken pieces and cook, turning occasionally, until well-browned on both sides and cooked through, about 15 minutes total.

Ingredients for the salad:

1 avocado, cut into small chunks

1/2 papaya, cut into small chunks

8 ounces mixed greens

Ingredients for the lime vinaigrette:

Juice of 1 lime

5 tablespoons olive oil

1 scallion, thinly sliced

Salt and pepper to taste

Combine the ingredients for the dressing in a medium bowl and set aside.  As soon as you cut the avocado, put the pieces in the bowl and toss to coat with the dressing so the avocado doesn't brown.

To prepare the papaya, slice it in half and scrape out the seeds and fibers with a spoon.  Score the flesh with a knife and scoop out the chunks with a spoon.

To serve, divide the salad greens between the plates.  Top with papaya, avocado, and dressing.  Slice the chicken and place on top.  Drizzle with additional dressing if desired.

Enjoy your healthy dinner.  This would be a good vegetarian option without the chicken!