Rum-drunk barbecued chicken

“There’s nothing more Caribbean than rum and to get that flavour right through the chicken, it helps to make a few incisions into the meat before marinating it. I love the idea of keeping a little bit of bone on the chicken so when you put it onto the barbie it’s got a bit of structure.” Ainsley Harriott, Ainsley Harriott’s Street Food

Credit: Ainsley Harriott's Street Food

• serves

  6

• prep

  10 minutes

• cook

  15 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 6 chicken breasts, wing bone in, skin on
• grilled corn on the cob with coconut-butter sauce, to serve

Marinade

• 125 ml (½ cup) lime juice
• 125 ml (½ cup) dark rum
• 125 ml (½ cup) dark soy sauce
• 1 small bunch thyme, leaves picked and coarsely chopped
• 1 long red chilli, seeded and finely chopped
• 3 tsp grated palm sugar

Marinating time 30 minutes or overnight

Resting time 5 minutes

Instructions

To make the marinade, place all the ingredients in a large airtight container and shake to combine well.

Using a sharp knife, make 2-3 deep incisions through the skin side of the chicken, to help the marinade permeate the flesh. Add the chicken to the marinade, stir to coat well, then cover and stand for 30 minutes, or refrigerate overnight if time permits.

Meanwhile, preheat the barbecue to medium.

Remove the chicken from the marinade and cook, basting with the marinade and turning regularly, for 15 minutes or until just cooked through. Rest for 5 minutes, then serve with grilled corn on the cob and lots of rum punch. 

Ainsley Harriott’s Street Food starts Thursday 6 August 2015 at 8.30pm on SBS and finishes 1 October 2015. Visit the Ainsley Harriott’s Street Food program page to catch-up on episodes online, scroll through recipes and read our interview with Ainsley.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.