Serves 8 people

Ingredients

For the Chicken

8 Chicken Breasts
4 cloves garlic, peeled
4 teaspoons fresh thyme, minced
2 tablespoons onion powder
2 teaspoons ground allspice
¾ teaspoon sweet paprika
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground clove
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon cayenne
½ teaspoon chili powder
2 teaspoons salt
2 tsp ground black pepper
½ cup olive oil

For the Rice

4 cups long grain rice
8 cups water
1 piece fresh ginger, batonnet size
1 strip of lemon peel

For the Beans

4 cups black or red beans (soaked overnight)
Water to cover beans by two inches
1 bay leaf
1 cinnamon stick
1 tsp all spice
2 tsp chile powder
2 tsp onion powder
2-3 dried chilies

For the Fried Plantains

2 plantains, ripe
Coconut oil
Kosher salt

Special Equipment

Large mortar and pestle, preferably granite
Mandoline (or box grater or food processor with shredder attachment)

Instructions

For the Chicken

Pre-heat oven to 250 degrees.

Place garlic in a mortar and pestle, sprinkle with a pinch of salt and grind into a paste. Add the fresh thyme and continue grinding. Add the dry ingredients and mix well. Drizzle in the olive oil and mix into a paste.

Rub the paste on to both sides of the chicken breast and let sit for up to one hour. Sear in a hot sauté pan or a hot grill then finish cooking in pre-heated oven, covered until chicken the pink is gone and cooked through, but not dry. (If sautéing, reserve pan juices to make a sauce for the chicken.)

For the Rice

In a medium pot sauté shallot in olive oil until translucent. Add ginger, lemon peel and rice and cook several minutes until the rice is lightly toasted, about five minutes. Add water and simmer until the liquid has evaporated, then cover and turn heat down to low for ten minutes. Before removing the lid, turn off the heat and let rice sit for fifteen minutes. Fluff with a fork and serve.

For the Beans

Combine all ingredients in a medium pot and simmer for 40 minutes.

For the Fried Plantains

Slice the plantains on the bias about ½ inch thick. Warm a couple tablespoons of coconut oil in a medium size pan over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot fry the plantains on each side until they are brown and crisp. Remove from oil and dry on a paper towel, season with salt.

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