Jerk chicken dumplings

By Shereen Thompson-Spurgeon
From Saturday Kitchen

Ingredients

Dumpling Dough Ingredients

• Self-raising flour: 240g/9oz, plus extra for dusting
• Cornflour: 60g/2¼oz
• Caster sugar: 50g/1¾oz
• Smoked paprika: 1 tsp
• Plain flour: 60g/2¼oz, for dusting
• Garlic powder: 1 tsp
• Onion powder: 1 tsp
• Vegetable butter: 40g/1½oz
• Salt: 1 tsp

Marinated Chicken Ingredients

• Onion: 1 medium, finely chopped
• Garlic cloves: 8, finely chopped
• Fresh ginger: 45g/1½oz, peeled and finely chopped
• Fresh thyme: 3 sprigs
• Spring onions: 2, chopped
• Scotch bonnet chillies: 1–2, chopped
• Pimento seeds: 2 tsp
• Dried thyme: 1 small bunch
• Fresh oregano: 1 small bunch, leaves only
• Fresh rosemary: 1 tsp, chopped
• Browning sauce: 50g/1¾oz
• Soft dark brown sugar: 1 tbsp
• Vegetable oil: 110ml/3½fl oz
• Apple cider vinegar or lemon juice: 60ml/2fl oz
• Boneless, skinless chicken thighs: 4
• Black pepper: 2 tsp
• Salt: 1½ tsp

To Assemble the Dumplings

• Plantain: 1, chopped into 1–2cm/1in dice and deep-fried
• Free-range eggs: 2
• Polenta: 150g/5½oz

Sauce Ingredients

• Tomato purée or good-quality ketchup: 250g/9oz
• Caster sugar: 100g/3½oz
• White wine vinegar: 60ml/2fl oz
• Molasses: 1 tbsp
• Liquid smoke: 50ml/2fl oz
• Onion powder: ½ tsp
• Nutmeg: ½ tsp
• Scotch bonnet chilli or pepper sauce: 1, deseeded

Jerk Jackfruit Ingredients

• Olive oil: 3 tbsp
• Red onions: 4, finely chopped
• Honey (or to taste): ½ tbsp
• Green jackfruit (tin): 1, drained and chopped
• Wet all-purpose jerk seasoning (made as above): 3 tbsp
• Liquid smoke: 1 tsp
• Chopped tomatoes (tin): 400g
• Black pepper: ¼ tsp
• Sea salt: 1 tsp

Salsa Salad Ingredients

• Whole pineapple: 1 sweet, chopped
• Mangoes: 2, chopped
• Cucumber: 1 medium, chopped
• Red onion: 1 medium, chopped
• Red pepper: 1 medium, chopped
• Fresh coriander (chopped): 2 tbsp
• Lime juice (plus some zest): 50ml/2fl oz
• Scotch bonnet chilli (seeds removed): ½
• Sugar (optional): 1 tsp
• Salt: 1 tsp

Method

Make the Dumpling Dough

1. Combine Dry Ingredients: In a large bowl, mix together the self-raising flour, cornflour, caster sugar, smoked paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt.
2. Add Butter: Add the vegetable butter to the dry ingredients and mix until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
3. Form Dough: Gradually add 200–300ml/7–10fl oz of cold water to the mixture, stirring until a soft dough forms. Continue adding water until the dough is soft and fluffy.
4. Rest Dough: Place the dough in a bowl, cover it, and let it rest at room temperature.

Prepare the Marinated Chicken

1. Blend Ingredients: In a food processor, combine the onion, garlic cloves, fresh ginger, fresh thyme, spring onions, Scotch bonnet chillies, pimento seeds, dried thyme, fresh oregano leaves, fresh rosemary, browning sauce, soft dark brown sugar, vegetable oil, apple cider vinegar or lemon juice, black pepper, and salt. Blend until mushy.
2. Marinate Chicken: Set aside 3 tablespoons of this jerk seasoning for later use. Rub the remaining seasoning onto the chicken thighs and let them marinate for at least 20 minutes or overnight for best results.

Cook the Chicken

1. Preheat Oven: Preheat your oven to 200°C/180°C Fan/Gas 6.
2. Roast Chicken: Place the marinated chicken in a roasting tin and roast in the oven for 25 minutes until cooked through but still soft and juicy.
3. Shred Chicken: Remove from the oven and use two forks to shred the chicken into pieces.

Make the Sauce

1. Combine Ingredients: In a saucepan over medium heat, combine tomato purée or ketchup, caster sugar, white wine vinegar, molasses, liquid smoke, onion powder, nutmeg, and Scotch bonnet chilli or pepper sauce.
2. Cook Sauce: Cook for 5 minutes until well combined.
3. Mix with Chicken: Add the sauce to the shredded chicken and set aside to cool.

Prepare Jerk Jackfruit

1. Cook Onions: Heat olive oil in a deep frying pan over medium heat. Add red onions and salt; fry for 20 minutes until sticky.
2. Add Honey: Stir in honey and simmer for 2 minutes.
3. Add Jackfruit: Add jackfruit and reserved jerk seasoning; simmer for another 2 minutes.
4. Finish Cooking: Add chopped tomatoes and black pepper along with 200ml/7fl oz water; cook for 30 minutes until sauce thickens. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

Assemble Dumplings

1. Roll Dough: On a clean surface dusted with flour, roll out the dough.
2. Form Dumplings: Cut and weigh 111g/4oz of dough; roll into a ball then flatten it into a cup shape in your hand.
3. Fill Dumplings: Add chopped plantain and 50g/1¾oz of shredded chicken or jackfruit into each dough cup; pull sides together to seal.
4. Coat Dumplings: Dip each filled dumpling in beaten egg then roll in polenta; shake off excess polenta.

Fry Dumplings

1. Heat Oil: Preheat oil in a deep-fat fryer to 160°C (CAUTION: hot oil can be dangerous; do not leave unattended).
2. Fry Dumplings: Fry dumplings for 15 minutes until crispy outside yet soft inside.

Make Salsa Salad

1. Combine Ingredients: In a large bowl combine pineapple chunks with mangoes cubes along with cucumber slices plus red onion pieces as well as red pepper bits plus chopped coriander leaves then drizzle lime juice over everything while adding salt plus lime zest if desired.
2. Adjust Sweetness (Optional): If needed add one teaspoon sugar if fruits lack sweetness.

Serve

• Serve salsa salad alongside jerk chicken or jackfruit-filled dumplings.