It took a while to finally discover a recipe that I really loved in Jamaica.  Yes, it involved chicken, but there were no jerks this day.  I was taken up into the Blue Mountains to the original Blue Café.  It's Jamaica's finest coffee, but the food is just as good and the ambiance is to die for.  Actually, the roads were so narrow and the cliffs so steep, with my driving, that could be an option.

Anyway, atop the mountain, I had curry shrimp.  It was very good, but Greg Bailey won with his Coffee Baked Chicken, which he graciously shared with everyone.  I wanted to know how to make it.  Greg and Miriam Hinds-Smith, the dean of the Edna Manley College, discussed things for a few minutes.  Then, I said, they were way past my abilities.  Greg probably understood what she meant when you "caramelize the coffee sauce" but I had no idea.  He promised to help me with the recipe.  And, he was true to his word.

 

Greg's Coffee Baked Chicken
Greg Bailey, Kingston, Jamaica

The preferred way to cook a chicken in Jamaica is on a grill.  And, naturally, that's how Greg started his recipe.  But, I asked him to pretend he was going to cook it in his kitchen since I've never grilled anything in my life.  Greg is someone completely at ease in the kitchen.  He doesn't measure anything.  It's an automatic reflex for him.  However, he accommodated my needs.

Season up your chicken with the oregano, garlic, salt, and pepper.  Let it all marinate for twenty minutes.  Then, put your chicken in a dish to bake at 360 degrees.  Cover it with aluminum foil and set your timer for thirty minutes.

So far so good, but that sauce remains as the next step, and I've never caramelized anything in my kitchen.

For the sauce, you need to brew up a cup of coffee that is stronger than you might normally drink.  Stir in the sugar until it dissolves.  You also want to put some of the coffee grounds in the sauce.  You don't want a lot, but you want enough for some texture and visual appeal.

Now, since you don't want your dish to taste like food that coffee was spilled on, Greg thought the corriander (or parsley, if you prefer) and ginger would add a lot to the sauce.  And, I also saw some recipes suggest olive oil, onion, and barbecue sauce.  Whatever you choose, boil your sauce on a low flame to caramelize the mixture.  Stir it until things thicken up.

After thirty minutes of baking, spread your caramelized sauce over the chicken and continue the cooking for fifteen minutes.  Then, turn off the heat.  Allow the chicken some extra time to soak up the deliciousness before enjoying thoroughly.