Jamaican Jerk Chicken, Squash and a variation on Peach Cobbler

Source: Cooks Illustrated

I bought all the ingredients for this recipe yesterday while David was driving home from his trip.  Last night we had an antipasto style dinner (olives, cheeses, hummus, bruschetta, and Revival's House-cured salami (for DLG)) since David wasn't sure what time he would be getting in.  Today we had plenty of time to devote to this somewhat labor intensive recipe.  David started early and had the chicken marinating before noon.  It's been on the grill (we're using the gas grill) about 25 minutes now and it looks and smells great but the wood chip packet has produced very little smoke.  We're not sure what the reason for this is or what to recommend that others try differently.  

While the chicken cooked I decided to try a variation on peach cobbler - one of my favorite summer desserts.  David brought home about 30 Texas peaches from a roadside stand he passed driving back from Uvalde.  I put some in the fridge to help preserve them for Mom and Grandma's arrival later this week but still had ample supply for baking.  I substituted Truvia for sugar - my first experiment with this - and whole wheat flour for white flour.  It tastes alright, its definitely sweet enough but the topping is noticeably less crumbly than without substitutions.  Nevertheless, I'll take what I can get, and for anyone looking for a healthier alternative I would recommend this recipe.

For the chicken

Jerk Marinade:
1-1/2 tablespoons whole coriander seeds
1 tablespoon whole allspice berries
1 tablespoon whole peppercorns
3 Habanero chiles
8 scallions
6 garlic cloves
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons finely grated lime zest (2 to 3 limes)
2 tablespoons yellow mustard
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon ground ginger
1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
2-1/4 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
3-lbs bone-in chicken pieces (split breasts cut in half, drumsticks, and/or thighs)

Smoking Packet:
2 tablespoons whole allspice berries
2 tablespoons dried thyme
2 tablespoons dried rosemary
2 tablespoons water
1 cup wood chips

1. Coarsely grind the whole coriander seeds, the allspice berries and whole peppercorns in a spice grinder. Add freshly ground spices to blender.
2. Discard the stem from the chiles. Remove and reserve the ribs and seeds, then cut into quarters. Add to blender. Roughly chop scallions and garlic and add to blender. Add all the remaining ingredients (except the chicken) to the blender and process until a smooth paste forms. Empty the paste into a gallon-sized Zip-Lock bag.
3. Trim the chicken to remove any excess fat (or ribs) and cut the breasts is half cross-wise. Add the chicken to the marinade and remove as much air as possible from the zip-lock bag. Allow to sit a room temperature for 30 minutes; flipping the bag over after 15 minutes. Refrigerate for 24-hours.
4. Combine the spices for the smoke packet with 2 tablespoons water in a small bowl, and allow to hydrate for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, soak 1 cup of wood chips separately.
5. Turn on grill to heat. While the grill heats, wrap the soaked chips and moistened spice mixture in heavy-duty aluminum foil, then use a paring knife to cut five or six vent holes in top of the packet.
6.  Put the wood chip/spice packet on the grill. 
7. Leave some marinade on the chicken, and put chicken skin-side-up as far away from the heat as possible. Arrange so that the dark meat is closest to the heat, and the white meat is further. Cover grill so that the vent holes are directly over the chicken. Cook for 30 minutes.
8. Flip chicken skin-side-down as you move the chicken. Cook for about 10 minutes until well browned. Flip the chicken again skin-side-up and cook for about 15 more minutes  until the chicken reaches the correct temperature; 160 degrees for breasts and 175 degrees for thighs/drumsticks.
9. Move to a serving platter and tent loosely with aluminum foil for 5 minutes. Slice limes for serving.

DLG butchering the chicken

chips soaking

For the cobbler:

• 1/2 cup butter, melted
• 4-5 cups fresh peaches, peeled, pitted, and sliced
• 2 tsp. lemon juice
• 3 Tbs. white sugar + 1 cup white sugar, separated
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. baking powder
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 tsp. vanilla

• Preheat oven to 350F (175C). Pour butter in the bottom of a large casserole or 9x13 inch pan.In a bowl, toss the peaches with lemon juice. Add 3 tablespoons sugar and toss again to coat. Pour into pan.In a mixing bowl, combine remaining ingredients and stir gently. Spoon batter over the peaches. Bake for 45 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the cobbler is bubbly and the top is golden brown.

just some of the many peaches