GRILLED JERK CHICKEN SKEWERS

Grilled Jerk Chicken Skewers image

These skewers feature the flavorful trio of jerk chicken, mango and pineapple. The chicken gets its signature kick from a sweet-salty-spicy marinade, which is also used on the sliced sweet potatoes cooked alongside. Though it's hard to beat the Jamaica method of grilling jerk chicken over pimento wood, using a backyard gas or charcoal grill will still deliver a satisfying smoky char. All you need to complete the summery feast is a simple green salad.

Provided by Tregaye Fraser

Time 9h15m

Yield 4 to 6 servings

Number Of Ingredients 18

Ingredients

1/3 cup vegetable oil, plus more for the grill grates
2 tablespoons thyme leaves
1 tablespoon packed dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
6 scallions, white and light green parts only, roughly chopped
4 cloves garlic
2 habanero or Scotch bonnet chiles, seeded
One 1/2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
1 shallot, roughly chopped
Juice of 1 lime
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 2 1/2 pounds), each halved
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
1 pineapple, peeled, cored and cut into 1-inch chunks
2 ripe but firm mangos, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
Green salad, for serving

Steps:

Combine the oil, thyme, brown sugar, soy sauce, vinegar, allspice, scallions, garlic, chiles, ginger, shallot, lime juice, 2 teaspoons salt and several grinds of black pepper in a food processor and pulse until you have a coarse paste; this is the marinade. Reserve 1/4 cup of the marinade and refrigerate, covered, for later use. Combine the remaining marinade with the chicken in a medium bowl and massage it into the meat, 1 to 2 minutes. Cover and refrigerate at least 8 hours and up to overnight.
Prepare a grill for medium-high indirect heat (for a gas grill, leave one or two burners on low or off; for a charcoal grill, bank the coals on one side of the grill). Lightly brush the grill grates with oil.
Combine the sweet potatoes with the reserved 1/4 cup marinade in a medium bowl, tossing to coat; set aside. Thread a piece of chicken, pineapple and then mango onto one of four 10- to 12-inch metal skewers. Continue threading the ingredients in an alternating pattern until you have 4 pieces of each ingredient on the skewer. Repeat with the remaining skewers.
Grill the sweet potatoes over direct heat, turning once, until lightly charred on both sides, 5 to 7 minutes. Move them to the indirect side of the grill and place the skewers over the direct heat. Cook, turning the skewers occasionally, until they are dark golden all over, about 10 minutes.
Cover the grill and close the air vents halfway so the temperature remains around 350 degrees F. Cook until the sweet potatoes are soft and the chicken is cooked through, 10 to 15 minutes more.
Transfer the skewers and sweet potatoes to a large platter and serve with a green salad.