Caribbean jerk gravy

Caribbean jerk gravy takes the flavours normally associated with jerk chicken — allspice, thyme, Scotch bonnet, spring onion and charred meat juices — and turns them into a dark, glossy gravy. It should be savoury first, hot second, with enough sweetness and acidity to stop the spice becoming heavy.

It is particularly good with jerk chicken, roast pork, rice and peas, chips, or poured into the bottom of a plate beneath grilled meat.

The plan¶

Stage one: the jerk base¶

Makes about 1 litre

• 1 tbsp oil · 1 onion, roughly chopped · 4 spring onions
• 3 garlic cloves · 1 thumb-sized piece of ginger
• 6 allspice berries, lightly crushed
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme · 2 bay leaves
• 1 litre chicken stock
• 200 ml water
• 1 tbsp dark brown sugar
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• ½ Scotch bonnet chilli, left whole or halved
• 1 strip lime peel

1. Heat the oil in a saucepan and brown the onion and spring onions until their cut surfaces are properly dark. A little scorching is useful here.
2. Add the garlic, ginger and allspice and cook for 1 minute.
3. Add the stock, water, thyme, bay leaves, brown sugar, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, Scotch bonnet and lime peel.
4. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook uncovered for 45–60 minutes, until reduced by roughly a quarter.
5. Strain, pressing lightly on the vegetables, then cool and refrigerate or freeze.

Stage two: the finish¶

• 3 tbsp chicken or pork roasting fat
• 3 tbsp plain flour
• 2 tbsp jerk marinade or jerk paste
• 100 ml dark rum, optional
• 750–900 ml warm jerk base
• Roasting juices from the meat
• 1 tsp dark brown sugar or molasses
• 1–2 tsp lime juice
• Salt and black pepper

1. Remove the cooked meat from the roasting tin and leave it to rest.
2. Pour the contents of the tin into a jug. Let the fat rise, then return about 3 tbsp of fat and all the dark roasting juices to the tin.
3. Put the roasting tin over a low-medium heat. Stir in the flour and cook for 2 minutes.
4. Add the jerk marinade and cook for another minute. Do not let the spices burn.
5. If using rum, pour it in and scrape the browned residue from the bottom of the tin. Let it bubble until reduced by about half.
6. Gradually whisk in the warm jerk base.
7. Simmer for 8–10 minutes, whisking occasionally, until glossy and thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
8. Add the resting juices, brown sugar or molasses, and lime juice.
9. Taste before adding salt — jerk seasoning, stock and soy sauce can already supply plenty.
10. Strain for a smooth gravy, or leave it unstrained for a rougher, more rustic finish.

Controlling the heat¶

Scotch bonnet is part of the character of jerk gravy, but its strength varies enormously.

For a mild gravy, simmer a whole Scotch bonnet in the base and remove it without breaking it. For a hotter gravy, halve it before simmering. For a genuinely fiery version, finely chop some of the chilli into the finished gravy.

Removing the seeds does not remove all of the heat — much of the capsaicin is concentrated in the pale membrane surrounding them.

Using the roasting tin¶

The best jerk gravy is made after cooking meat coated in jerk seasoning. The blackened deposits stuck to the roasting tin contain concentrated spice, caramelised sugar and meat juices.

These should look very dark brown rather than completely burnt. If the marinade has turned into brittle black carbon, leave those patches behind when deglazing — burnt sugar will make the whole gravy bitter.

Chicken thighs, chicken wings and pork shoulder produce particularly useful roasting juices.

Variations¶

Pineapple jerk gravy — add 100 ml pineapple juice with the stock and finish with lime. Particularly good with pork.

Mango jerk gravy — whisk in 1–2 tbsp mango chutney near the end for a sweeter, fruitier gravy.

Guinness jerk gravy — replace the rum with 150 ml stout and reduce it well before adding the stock. The roasted malt works surprisingly well with allspice and chilli.

Coconut jerk gravy — replace about 200 ml of the stock with coconut milk. The result is richer, milder and somewhere between a gravy and a Caribbean sauce.

Extra-dark jerk gravy — add ½ tsp browning sauce or a small amount of molasses. Use sparingly: neither should become the dominant flavour.

Quantities¶

Allow around 100–150 ml per person when jerk gravy is the main sauce on the plate.

A litre will therefore serve approximately 7–10 people, depending on enthusiasm and whether rice, chips, Yorkshire puddings or other highly absorbent objects are present.

Leftover jerk gravy keeps for about three days refrigerated and freezes well. It is particularly useful for reheating leftover chicken, making a jerk chicken pie, or pouring over chips with shredded meat.

See also¶

• chicken gravy · pork gravy · large-batch gravy