Island Style Drunk Grilled Chicken.

Yes, it’s time again for the annual July Month Of Grilling and we’re kicking things off with one of the best chicken recipes I’ve ever shared. Growing up on the islands, grilling/BBQ was never really something we’d have at home. BBQ at home wasn’t common (I don’t ever recall seeing a propane grill), so the odd time we’d have anything close to bbq, it would be takeout or the times we’d have village bazaars, where it would also be on sale. However when we were treated to bbq takeout.. what a feast! And the sauces.. lick your lip friendly.

You’ll Need…

Chicken
2 scallions
2 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 cup chopped parsley
10 sprigs thyme
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1 lime
1 orange (I used 2 clementines)
1 beer
1/4 cup rum (dark is best)
1 heaping tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon grated ginger
1 scotch bonnet pepper
1 heaping tablespoon brown sugar

Note: This marinade will be enough for 3-4 small chickens.

Give the scallion, parsley and scotch bonnet a rough chop. Remember to wear gloves when handling such hot peppers and wash your hands immediately after with soap and water. To avoid the raw heat, you can leave out the seeds.. but I quite like the punch from including them. Grate the ginger and juice the orange and lime. I didn’t have an orange in the fridge so I went with 2 clementines.

Place all the other ingredients in a bowl and mix well.

Trim the excess fat and skin (as well as the wing tips) off the chicken. Wash with the juice of a lemon (lime or vinegar works well) and cool water.. drain and pat dry with paper towels. No the lemon juice I used to wash the chicken was not mentioned in the ingredient list.

You have 2 options here. I used a deep dish to marinate the chicken (cover with plastic wrap), you can do the same or use a strong zipper bag. Pour the marinade over the chicken/s and massage. Allow to marinate in the fridge overnight or at least a couple hours if you’re in a rush.

 Feel free to make deep cuts in the thickest parts of the chicken to allow the marinade to really get in there and do wonderful things. Now it’s just a matter of grilling to your liking. I used a coals fire, but propane will work as well. The keys to perfect chicken are..

• low and slow
• indirect heat (place the chicken away from the direct heat source)
• baste with the marinade as it cooks slowly

Depending on how consistent your heat was and the size of your chicken it will take about 2 hrs to cook all the way though. Remember to flip every 25 minutes and I cannot stress how important it is to baste with the marinade. So DON’T toss it out.

Be sure to watch the video below for some more tips. I didn’t add any salt to my marinade as I find the soy sauce does the trick, but you may need a bit of salt.. depending on your tolerance for salt. I assure you this is an amazing recipe to kick off our annual month of grilling. Do leave me your thoughts in the comment section below.