Jamaican Jerk Chicken with Collards and Yams

I went to The New World Home Cooking Company restaurant this weekend in upstate New York, and enjoyed a profound jerk chicken that just about knocked my socks off. Of course I decided right away that I had better add it to my personal repertoire. To increase the comfort factor, I combined this delicious centerpiece with some southern-style sides. Boy did this come out nicely!

For the rub, combine a couple cloves of garlic, a scotch bonnet pepper, the juice of 1 lime, chili powder, allspice, nutmeg, thyme, cinnamon, ground ginger, salt and pepper in a food processor and pulse until its well combined and all pieces are the size of a fine chop. After applying this mixture to your chicken (I prefer skinless for this), let it marinade for an hour to allow those flavors to penetrate the meat a bit. Fire up your grill and drop them on there, about 7-10 minutes per side depending on the thickness.

For the collards, combine 1+1/2 cup water, 1/4 cup cider vinegar, 1 tablespoon bacon fat, 1 chopped jalapeno, 1 chopped onion, 1 clove crushed garlic, a large pinch of salt, and 1 lb chopped collard greens in a pot and simmer for 45 minutes.

The yams are simple too: peel and slice, then toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. Bake at 425 covered tightly with tin foil (to keep the steam in) for 30 minutes. Remove foil and cook that side for 20 minutes, then flip the yam slices and cook the other side for 20 minutes. Done! I broiled them for the last few minutes to caramelize the sugars a bit.
~