comfort food thursday (on a monday)

while it is so great to be home, there are a few things that i am missing from vacation...
sunshine, spa robes, rum punch, pineapple, flip flops and jamaican jerk chicken.

so, in an effort to capture some of this vacation spirit i think sometime this week i will attempt to recreate at home the fabulous jerk chicken that we munched on all week. it is just so tasty! plus, it's finally grill season up here in vermont (which is my very favorite time of year) and i have to say, mr frederickson looks pretty cute on grill duty. it won't be the same, i know, but i'll do my best! maybe, ill even grill up some pineapple and put an umbrella in my water glass tonight...just to keep myself in the vacation state of mind.

jamaican jerk chicken
what you need:

• 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
• 3 medium scallions, chopped
• 2 Scotch bonnet chiles, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 tablespoon five-spice powder
• 1 tablespoon allspice berries, coarsely ground
• 1 tablespoon coarsely ground pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme, crumbled
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• two 3 1/2- to 4-pound chickens, quartered

what you do: in a food processor, combine the onion, scallions, chiles, garlic, five-spice powder, allspice, pepper, thyme, nutmeg and salt; process to a coarse paste. with the machine on, add the the soy sauce and oil in a steady stream. pour the marinade into a large, shallow dish, add the chicken and turn to coat. cover and refrigerate overnight. bring the chicken to room temperature before proceeding.

light a grill. grill the chicken over a medium-hot fire, turning occasionally, until well browned and cooked through, 35 to 40 minutes. (cover the grill for a smokier flavor.) transfer the chicken to a platter and serve.