Chef notes
I never had jerk seasoning in my life until a customer came in and said, “Oh, you must know how to make jerk chicken.” People assume that because I’m Black, I should know how to make Jamaican or Southern food, but the truth is, I learned how to make it here in America. I didn’t grow up eating collard greens or any of that good stuff. After that customer encounter, I Googled jerk chicken, found out it was Jamaican and decided to try it. I made a recipe of my own and now it is one of my signature dishes. And no, I’m not Jamaican, but I make a mean jerk salmon.
Technique tip: While the salmon is best when marinated overnight you can also just marinate for four hours. It's very important to use organic ginger, so it is more flavorful.
Swap options: You can sub salmon for chicken, you will just need to adjust cooking time for chicken. Mangos are used at the moment because they are in season, but you can adjust and use in-season fruit.
Ingredients
- 4 salmon fillets, skin on
- 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
- 3 medium scallions, chopped
- 1 Scotch bonnet pepper or jalapeño for less heat, seeds removed, chopped (add additional if you like it spicier)
- 6 garlic cloves, chopped
- 1 tablespoon allspice
- 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 1 bunch cilantro, stems intact
- 2 tablespoons fresh ginger, chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 1/4 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 6 ripe mangos, peeled and diced
- 2 medium red bell peppers, chopped
- 1 cup chopped red onion
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
- 2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and minced
- 1 large lime, juiced
- salt, to taste
- 1 pound dried black beans, rinsed
- 3 medium cloves garlic, peeled and gently smashed
- 1 sprig thyme
- 1/2 medium onion, peeled and diced
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon vegetable base
- 1 gallon water
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preparation
For the jerk salmon:
1.Place the salmon in a large container with a lid or a shallow dish.
2.In a food processor, add the onion, scallions, chiles, garlic, allspice, pepper, thyme, nutmeg, cilantro, ginger and salt. Process the mixture until it forms a paste. Then, with the processor on, add the soy sauce, red wine vinegar and oil in a steady stream until combined.
3.Pour the jerk marinade over the salmon and, using your hands, coat the salmon thoroughly with the marinade. Cover the salmon and refrigerate overnight or for at least 4 hours. The longer you marinate the salmon, the better the flavor will be.
4.Once marinated, remove from the refrigerator and bring to room temperature.
5.If using a grill or grill pan, preheat over high heat. If using an oven, preheat to 400 F.
6.On a grill or grill pan, cook the salmon for 5 minutes on each side, so you get nice grill marks on the outside. If using an oven, bake for about 10 minutes.
7.I recommend you serve your jerk salmon topped with mango salsa and a side of jasmine rice, fried plantains, stewed beans and haricot verts.
For the mango salsa:
1.In a large bowl, combine mango, bell pepper, onion, cilantro and jalapeño.
2.Drizzle with lime juice and stir together.
3.Season to taste with salt and stir again.
4.Put the salsa in the refrigerator for at least 10 minutes to let the flavors combine.
For the black beans:
1.Add beans, garlic, thyme, onion, bay leaf, olive oil and vegetable base to a large pot.
2.Cover with water.
3.Bring to a boil over high heat.
4.Once beans come to a boil, reduce the heat to low, remove the lid and simmer beans for 2 hours, or until tender.
5.Remove the bay leaf and the thyme once the beans are done. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
6.To make the beans creamier, smash some with a fork.
7.To reduce cooking time, you can do this in an Instant Pot and cook on high pressure for 30 minutes. Allow the cooker to naturally release for 20 minutes and then release the remaining pressure.
