Ingredients (Serves 4)

• 4 chicken portions
• 1 bunch spring onions, trimmed
• 1 to 2 Scotch Bonnet chillies, deseeded
• 1 garlic clove
• 5 cm piece root ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
• ½ tsp dried thyme
• ½ tsp paprika
• ¼ tsp ground allspice
• pinch ground cinnamon
• pinch ground cloves
• 4 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 3 tbsp light soy sauce
• pepper

1. Rinse the chicken portions and pat them dry on absorbent kitchen paper. Place them in a shallow dish.
2. Place the spring onions, chillies, garlic, ginger, thyme, paprika, allspice, cinnamon, cloves, wine, vinegar, soy sauce and pepper to taste in a food processor and process to make a smooth mixture.
3. Pour the spicy mixture over the chicken. Turn the chicken portions over so that they are well coated in the marinade. Transfer the chicken to the refrigerator and leave to marinate for up to 24 hours.
4. Remove the chicken from the marinade and barbecue over medium hot coals for about 30 minutes, turning the chicken over and basting occasionally with any remaining marinade, until the chicken is cooked through.
5. Transfer the chicken portions to individual serving plates and serve at once.

“As Jamaican cuisine becomes increasingly popular, you will find jars of ready made jerk marinade, which you can use when time is short. Allow the chicken to marinade for as long as possible for maximum flavor.”

Ingredients (Serves 4)

• 350 g lean lamb, minced
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 4 tbsp dry wholemeal breadcrumbs
• 2 tbsp mint jelly
• salt and pepper
• 4 wholemeal baps, 2 sliced large tomatoes, cucumber and lettuce leaves, to serve

Relish

• 2 tbsp low fat natural fromage frais
• 1 tbsp minty jelly, softened
• 5 cm piece of cucumber, finely diced
• 1 tbsp fresh mint, chopped

1. Place the lamb in a large bowl and mix in the onion, breadcrumbs and jelly. Season well, then mold the ingredients together with your hands to form a firm mixture.
2. Divide the mixture into 4 and shape each portion into a round measuring 10 cm across. Place the rounds on a plate lined with baking parchment and leave to chill for 30 minutes.
3. Preheat the grill to medium. Line a grill rack with baking parchment, securing the ends under the rack, and place the burgers on top. Cook for 8 minutes, then turn over the burgers and cook for a further 7 minutes or until cooked through.
4. Meanwhile, make the relish. Mix together the fromage frais, mint jelly, cucumber and freshly chopped mint in a bowl. Cover and leave to chill in the refrigerator until required.
5. Drain the burgers on absorbent kitchen paper. Serve the burgers inside the baps with sliced tomatoes, cucumber, lettuce and relish.

Ingredients (Serves 4)

• 4 lean, boneless lamb leg steaks, about 125 g each
• 1 small onion, thinly sliced
• 1 medium carrot, thinly sliced
• 1 medium potato, thinly sliced
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 tsp dried rosemary
• salt and pepper
• fresh rosemary, to garnish
• freshly steamed green vegetables, to serve

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Using a sharp knife, trim any excess fat from the lamb steaks.
2. Season both sides of the steaks with salt and pepper to taste and arrange them on a baking sheet.
3. Alternate layers of sliced onion, carrot and potato on top of each lamb steaks.
4. Brush the tops of the potato lightly with oil, season well with salt and pepper to taste and then sprinkle with a little dried rosemary.
5. Bake the hot pot chops in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes until the lamb is tender and cooked through.
6. Drain the lamb on absorbent kitchen paper and transfer to a warmed serving plate. Garnish with fresh rosemary and serve accompanied with a selection of green vegetables.

“This recipe would work equally well with boneless chicken breasts. Pound the chicken slightly with a meat mallet or covered rolling pin so that the pieces are the same thickness throughout.”