Jerk chicken

The popular Jamaican Jerk Chicken is one hot and spicy chicken you just have to try if you love Lagos street roasted chicken! 

It's really a powerhouse full of taste and every single bite is just a delight. 

On the streets of Victoria Island, these spicy chicken being roasted by mallams and non mallams alike in the day time became very popular in the early 2000s, they are totally different from the usual chicken suya prepared at night by mallams. I don't know if they still operate currently. 

The first time I tasted Jerk Chicken it took me straight to this memory lane and I guess the guys in Lagos must have borrowed a thing on two from the Jamaican recipe. 

Anyway, here's a home friendly recipe that you can prepare right in your oven!!!

Ingredients 

Chicken (5 chicken leg and thigh)

3 stems of spring onions

80g dark brown sugar 

2 cloves garlic 

1/2 thumb size ginger

1 1/2 tsp thyme 

2 tsp paprika 

2 large size scotch bonnet

1/2 tsp cumin

1 whole orange juice

1/4 cup malt vinegar 

1 tsp (nutmeg, cinnamon, black pepper)

2 tbsp all spice

Chicken stock cubes or soy sauce 

Equipment needed

*Oven

Step 1. Pour all ingredients into a blender except for the chicken and chicken cubes.. 

Step 2. Blend and pour over the washed chicken.. Add in the chicken stock, taste (if required add in salt or more chicken stock). Cover with a clingfilm, then allow to marinate for up to 6hours.. I left mine for 24hrs 

Step 3. After 6-24hours of marinating, place on a baking tray and bake for 30-40mins on gas Mark 5-6 (pre-heat oven first, for atleast 7mins) 

Finally is ready.. I served mind with Some rice and peas, topped with the jerk chicken drippings(gravy)

Iya shukura buka stew

Nothing beats good old buka stew. 

A buka is a local Nigerian food joint that is fancy and fuss free in terms of service and ambience, however, many a man have been known to ignore their wife's cooking for the sake of these humble food joints on the streets of Nigeria.

Their secret is consistency in taste and generously cut proteins (huge chunks of different types of meats and animals).

These specialists cook these stews every day so we know you can hardly beat them at their game. 

Every buka has their own unique taste, there's no universal taste for the good old buka stew.

Some would swear that the secret ingredient is rotten tomatoes, proportion of onions to tomato blend, use of a lot of bell peppers or lack of, special frying methods for the onions (some include blended iru or blended stock fish) or even mixing palm oil with vegetable oil.

The truth is, there's a reason why it's a secret! If bukas gave out their secrets then they'd be out of business in a hurry!!!

As food lovers, we have no choice than to use our sense of taste and sight to recreate what we love so much. Personally,  one of my favourite bukas in Lagos had the most amazing stews and I got this recipe from the owners daughter who was a high school friend. Over the years I've made a couple of switches to make it more mine.

Today, I'm sharing it on the blog. Try it and let's know how it went!!!

Ingredients 

*Mixed meat (boiled then fry or grill)

*5 tomatoes (fresh, but slightly off)

*8 bell peppers 

*5 scotch bonnet 

*2 onions (blend 1 with the tomatoes and pepper then the other 1 separately)

*Stock cube 

*Veg oil (I used olive oil)

Step 1. Blend the bell peppers, scotch bonnet, tomatoes with one onions till very smooth. Then pour into a pot to boil and simmer till paste like 

Step 2. In a separate pot, pour in oil and let it heat up. When hot add in the separately blended onions, allow it to fry until golden brown.. 

 

Step 3. Then add in the mix pepper paste 

Step 4. Then the stock cubes 

Step 5. Stir, then allow the stew to fry for about 7-10mins while continuously stirring 

This stew is the business, we paired ours with well greened out chopped cooked okro 

Homemade zesty sugarcane juice (sugarcane juice)

During my weekly shopping sometime last week, I spotted a market trader selling sugarcane!!!

Oh my! This ignited so many childhood memories and I just had to get some!

However, the only thing I disliked and still dislike about sugarcanes is having to chew to extract the juice as it gets quite stressful for my jaws! That's one chewing that can be quite a chore, tiring! 

Anyway,  being a #foodie, I thought to myself "why not extract the juice"... Nothing new about this but I hadn't tried it that way before!!!.. 

So guys, here's a peek at how I went about making it into a zesty drink.

Unfortunately the limes and lemons added are not pictured as I didn't really plan to document it on the blog.

If you are looking for a new refreshing taste this summer, this might just be your best bet!!!

Ingredients 

*Sugarcanes

*Lemons (I added 2 lemons to mine)

*Lime (and 1 lime)

*water (little at a time)

Equipment 

*Knife

*Food processor or mortar/pestle 

*Sieve

*Cotton flannel

Step 1... Peel using a knife, then cut into small chunks 

Step 2. Pour the chopped up sugarcane into the food processor, add in some water, lemon and lime juice, then blend (if required, add in little water)

Step 3. Place a sieve over a bowl, then place cotton flannel over it... 

Step 4. Pour the blended mix on the cotton flannel, 

Step 5... Squeeze generously to extract the juice... Then discard the remenat. Pour the juice in a bottle, then chill...(my recommendation consume within 24hr)

Here's my super refreshing and on point drink!

KFC style battered fried chicken (not KFC recipe)

How many parents don't sometimes feel they are spending too much for treats and eats from eateries world wide!!!

It dawned on me, I was spending too much money at my local KFC entertaining  the kids this summer holiday.. I said to myself, enough is enough "I had to do something".. 

Not having their pressure deep fryer or exact recipe didn't deter me, that even made me more determined so I went online to explore recipes then came up with these combination of spices.

It really came out well for me. The kids loved it and since every little helps, I've saved a bit of cash that I'm proud of!!!

Ingredients 

For the chicken 

*chicken stock cubes or powder

*milk or water

*salt 

For the batter 

*190g plain flour

*3tsp chilli 

*1tsp sage

*1tsp basil

*2tsp paprika 

*2tsp white or black pepper 

*1tsp coriander 

*1tsp powder garlic 

*1tsp powder ginger 

*1tsp powder oregano

*1tsp powder cardamom

*1tsp powder marjoram

*2 eggs 

****And oil to fry or oven to bake

Step 1. Pour the milk in a large bowl, add the chicken stock and salt.. Then stir properly 

Step 2. Pour the mix on the chicken, stir then cover with a cling film or bag.. Place in the fridge for atleast 6hours... ***make sure the milk is well seasoned, if using chicken legs or thighs make sure to poke them with a fork, so the seasoning can go through properly***

step 3. In a bowl, combine the flour with the 11 spices, then mix properly 

Step 4. Dip the chicken in the egg... This allows the spicy coating that's coming on next to stay on.

Step 5. Coat the chicken in the spicy flour mix.

*At this point switch on the deep fryer or oven 

Step 6. Start frying the chicken 

*quick tip: add some water into the fryer, little at a time and be extra careful with your hot oil to avoid burns.Doing this helps the chicken to cook through (remember KFC and other chicken restaurant use deep pressure fryer) so adding water to your oil, replicates the pressure fryer 

Step 7. Once completely fried, allow excess oil to drain 

My kids testified.. I was amazed at their  reaction. If the kids love it, adults will 100% love it.