Jamaican Jerk Paste
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This is one of the more useful spice pastes in our larder, being redolent with the sweetness of allspice, cinnamon and nutmeg, the heat of habaneros, black peppercorns, and ginger, and the savoryness of onion, garlic, bay and thyme. While jerk paste is usually considered a meat marinade, it is just as good on vegetables and is glorious as a coating on roast potato wedges. The following recipe, adapted from Jeff Smith’s 1990 The Frugal Gourmet on our Immigrant Ancestors (ISBN 978-0688075903), makes approximately 2 heaping cups, and can be stored indefinitely in the refrigerator. Note that you can make this as hot or mild as you desire by using only habaneros (the hottest) or only seasoning peppers (the mildest). |
8 Scotch Bonnet / Habanero / Seasoning peppers, seeded and chopped
12 green onions, cleaned and chopped
4 ounces (approximately 1 cup) of freshly ground allspice
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons dry thyme leaf
8 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
1 heaping tablespoon freshly grated ginger paste
12 bay leaves, crumbled
1 tablespoon salt
½ cup canola oil
Puree all ingredients to a smooth paste. Place in a pint jar, cover, and refrigerate. This will keep indefinitely in the refrigerator.
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