Instructions: Today for the jerk recipe, I thought Id just go ahead and post it.

I started with recipes from "Jerk: Barbecue from Jamaica" by Helen Willinsky- which seems to be a reasonable cookbook, though I havent tried many of their recipes beyond the jerk marinades and jerk chicken. Ive made some modifications of my own which Ill note as I go.

Jerk seasoning can be made two ways: one is a marinade, one is a paste

(more authentic, sez Willinsky) Mix all ingredients to form a paste

(use a food processor).

The recipe as I have been doing it lately uses dried habaneros (all I could find around here) and instead of the onion, a cup to a cup and a half of scallions including the bottom part (I think I used two bunches of six not-very-large scallions each; trim the little roots and the scraggly bit at the top of the stalk). Looks and smells just like the Jamaican Country Style jerk in the bottle. I also add a little soy sauce for color, and a generous shot of cream sherry- seems to go well in the paste; I think the sweetness works well with the allspice.

Jalapenos cannot be substituted- the result will be MILD, I kid you not (I learned this the hard way the first time I tried to make jerk chicken for guests and couldnt get habaneros).

Judi M. Phelps (Juphelps)

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