It's Barbeque Time! BBQ Caribbean Chicken Recipe

By Amy Baudon

I'm sure if you've noticed that there's this round yellow thing in the sky, that’s got everyone all hot and bothered.....LITERALLY! For those of you from Ireland, this is what’s called "summer". You know, that infamous season that seems to boycott our part of the globe every year? Yes my friends, summer has finally arrived. No biggie though.....we've only been waiting.....like our ENTIRE lives. Grrrrrrr......

So, as we're experiencing some of the hottest weather ever known to Irish mankind, sausages and burgers are selling out quicker than you can say "throw another shrimp on the Barbie".

Interesting fact; the phrase "throw another shrimp on the Barbie" dates all the way back to the early 80's when Mr Crocodile Dundee himself (Paul Hogan) took part in an Australian advertising tourist campaign. The Actual quote is in fact "I'll slip an extra shrimp on the Barbie for you"......doesn't quite have the same ring to it??

Anyway, so I thought, since BBQ cuisine has become a summer staple in our diet of late, we better become a little more accustomed to the idea.

I don't know about you, but as much as I love an 'oul chargrilled banger and burger, there's only so many I can eat before I actually turn into one!

So here is my bbq recipe.....

Bbq Caribbean Chicken with coconut rice and a Tomato Avocado Salsa

You will need: 
(Serves 6)

6 Chicken thighs

400g Rice

I tin Coconut Milk

1 tin of Kidney Beans

Bunch of scallions

600ml chicken stock

Marinade:

60ml rum 

1 lime 

30g Dark Brown Sugar

2 cloves garlic

1cm fresh grated ginger

1 fresh red chilli

1 onion finely chopped

2 tsp mixed all spice

2 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce

2 cayenne pepper

2tsp Cinammon

2tsp Nutmeg

Salsa:

Punnet of cherry tomatoes

1 ripe avocado

1/2 a red onion finely sliced

1/2 lime

Olive oil (drizzle)

Bunch fresh coriander

Salt and pepper

Method  

Take all the marinade ingredients and blitz together until it makes a paste. Marinade your chicken for at least an hour or even better, the night before.

Preheat your oven to 180 degrees and cook the chicken for 3

0 mins. (Cooking in the oven beforehand allows less cooking time on the BBQ,

so that you can guarantee it’s cooked thoroughly!)

Fry off the scallions in a little olive oil in a pot and when they have softened slightly add your rice, coating in all the oil.

Add in your tin of coconut milk, chicken stock and kidney beans and bring to the boil!

Leaving the lid on, reduce the heat down to a very low heat and simmer the rice gently until all the liquid has been absorbed in the rice.

To make the salsa, chop up all the salsa ingredients, drizzle with a little olive oil and a squeeze of half a lime and season with salt and pepper!

When chicken is cooked through in the oven add to the BBQ to char a little, to give it a lovely smokey flavour.

All the marinade left at the bottom of the tin use as a sauce, drizzled over the chicken when serving.

Serve rice, chicken and salsa together with a squeeze of lime over each accompaniment!

Kick back, enjoy the sun and wash down with a nice piña colada......