Caribbean baked chicken

You wouldn’t think so seeing my pasty white skin, but I grew up in the Caribbean and lived there until I turned 18. I’m from a tiny island in the French West Indies called Martinique and not a week goes by without me reminiscing about it. There is a lot I miss about living in the Caribbean; the absence of winter, a certain laissez-faire attitude to life, my ride-or-die friends and the food I grew up with. This Caribbean baked chicken recipe is a homage to the poulet boucané (smoked chicken) my parents would always buy on Saturdays on our way to the beach.

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I don’t smoke my chicken or use an already smoked chicken but the flavors of the meat are similar thanks to the overnight marinade. And my oh my it is a flavorful chicken! The spices, limes, chilies, herbs and onions in the marinade are a fantastic tasty combo that will please your taste buds for sure. The marinade is not too hot and doesn’t overpower the meat but it makes this Caribbean baked chicken finger-licking good. Add crispy skin and tender juicy meat to the mix, and everyone’s mouth is watering, am I right?

POULET BOUCANÉ COPYCAT

This type of chicken is first marinated overnight, then smoked completely enclosed in a metal container (shaped like a tall trashcan) on a rack placed over charcoal, soaked bread and pieces of sugar cane. There are ways to reproduce this traditional method of cooking on a barbecue but I didn’t feel like trying them. To be fair it’s the middle of winter and I don’t have a barbecue anyway. So I turned the poulet boucané of my childhood into a very tasty Caribbean baked chicken and I regret nothing! Not having to build any smoking contraption sure makes it up for the lack of smoky flavor.

PREVENT YOUR CHICKEN FROM DRYING OUT

There’s nothing more disappointing than biting into what looks like a very promising chicken leg and ending up chewing a tough rubbery piece of meat. I hate dry meat so I don’t any chances with my Caribbean bake chicken! That’s why;

• the meat marinates overnight (the salt in the marinade breaks down muscle proteins),
• butter is smeared directly on the breast (to baste the white meat while cooking),
• the chicken is partly cooked under a foil tent (the steam has nowhere to escape and keeps the meat moist) and
• the chicken is left to rest for 20 min before carving (the juices will reabsorb into the meat and be redistributed throughout the bird).

If you want to avoid the hassle of roasting a whole bird, marinate your favorite chicken parts (thighs, wings, breasts,…) overnight and simply grill them on a bbq or in a skillet over medium heat until deep golden brown.

SAUCE CHIEN (DOG SAUCE)

➝ What’s a sauce chien? This condiment sounds just as weird in English as in French. But not to worry, you won’t be eating your pet for dinner! This sauce takes its name from the type of knives that are typically used to prepare this sauce. Couteaux chien (dog knives) are quality stainless steel knives engraved with the small drawing of a guard dog on the base of the blade. Every family in the French West Indies has a couteau chien and it’s a customary wedding gift. Couteaux chien are super handy to finely dice garlic, herbs and onions. Seeing as those are the main ingredients of this popular condiment, it’s easy to see how the knife gave its name to the sauce.

Every family also has its own sauce chien recipe and the components of the sauce always stir debates. Should tomatoes and chilies be included even if they’re not native to the island and weren’t originally used? It’s all a matter of taste to me! I prefer an all-green sauce chien, so no tomatoes for me, but I do love the heat brought by the chili. If you go to a barbecue in Martinique, you’re bound to see a big bowl of sauce chien being passed around. It’s drizzled on every grilled food (chicken, lobsters, crabs,…) and it is delicious!

LEFTOVER BAKED CHICKEN

My husband and I have found ourselves finishing the whole chicken in one sitting but I’m always happy when there are leftovers. This Caribbean baked chicken tastes amazing cold so it’s a great addition to any of your favorite salads. That’s what my protein-driven gym-going sport-lover husband would want you to do.

However, if you’re like me you’ll want to blitz the leftover chicken with 150g (5oz) of cream cheese, 1 tbsp of mayo, 1 crushed garlic clove and ½ green chili. Then grill some bread and join me in chicken spread heaven!

Are you looking for other Caribbean recipes? Here are some of my favorites:

• Pomme cannelle (breakfast brioche buns)
• Spiced peanut brittle (without corn syrup)
• Communion bread

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