Lunch: The Ultimate Jerk Chicken

This recipe includes superfoods such as:

Cinnamon

Health benefits of The Ultimate Jerk Chicken

Cinnamon is one of the best ingredients that someone with insulin sensitivity can eat. Half a teaspoon of cinnamon per day has been shown to be very effective at normalizing blood sugar levels. Cinnamon contains hydroxychalcone, which is thought to enhance the effects of insulin. It has also been suggested that Cinnamon prevents post-meal blood sugar spikes by slowing the gastric emptying rate - meaning that food digests slowly. (Reference: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11506060).

Ingredients

2 teaspoons allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 onion
8 cloves garlic or 1 whole head
1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, sliced
3 scallions, sliced
3 limes, juiced
Splash low-sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves picked
1 Scotch bonnet pepper, halved, plus more to taste
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 whole free-range chicken (about 5 pounds), cut into 10 pieces
Limes, for garnish
Parsley, for garnish
Smoking chips, soaked in water for 15 minutes

Instructions

Begin by making the jerk marinade. Combine all the marinade ingredients in a blender and process until you have a smooth puree.
Add chicken pieces into a large resealable plastic bag and pour in the marinade. Put the bag into a baking dish and let marinate in the refrigerator overnight.
Preheat grill to high.
Prepare a table-top smoker or take a roasting tray, line it with foil and add some soaked wood chips to the bottom. Place a wire rack over the top, upside down, and lay chicken pieces over the chips on the rack. Cover with foil and grill over high heat. Smoke for 10 minutes.
Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.
Transfer the chicken pieces to a baking sheet and drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil. Bake in the oven "low and slow" until chicken is tender, about 1 hour. Remove the chicken from the baking sheet to a serving platter and garnish with limes and parsley before serving.