Get ready to dance and celebrate. No matter what time of year or the occasion, this local Jamaican dish will have you wanting more of the good flavors.
Why is this dish so exciting?
In Jamaica where I am from, we grew up on jerk chicken. It's almost a national dish at this point...really. It takes a well seasoned taste bud to know the authenticity of that powerful jerk flavor. In this recipe we will put a plant based twist to it using mushrooms. I promise you will enjoy this!
King Oyster Mushrooms are packed with nutrients, antioxidants. It's good for your heart and digestive health and it's versatile.
Ingredients for the Jerk Seasoning:
- Scotch bonnet peppers or habanero peppers
- Allspice (pimento)
- Thyme
- Garlic
- Ginger
- Scallions (green onions)
- Onion or onion powder
- coconut sugar
- Ground nutmeg
- Ground cloves
- Black pepper
- Sea Salt
Directions for making the Jerk Seasoning from scratch:
- Place each ingredient in a mortar, bowl, or a blender or food processor.
- Using a mortar stick or wooden spoon, begin to mash the ingredients together into a paste-like consistency. (same for blender or processor)
- Once done pour the mixture into a jar and cover with a cheesecloth of paper towel and set aside.
How to Prepare the Rice and Peas(Red Kidney Beans)
1. Use the canned beans if not the soaked dried beans.
2. Bring to a boil a pot of water with coconut milk. Stir the milk and water together.
3. Add a pinch of sea salt, a sprig of thyme to the pot.
4. Add the washed rice to the pot, stir, then add 1 whole scotch bonnet (or habanero pepper).
5. Cover the pot completely and let it cook on a medium heat for 25 minutes (depending on the type of rice used).
6. Add the Kidney beans to the pot and stir gently, until the beans are mixed thoroughly into the rice. *DO NOT ALLOW THE PEPPER TO BURST IN THE POT.
7. Cover the pot and lower the heat for another 15 minutes (or until the rice is soft and fluffy- check with a fork).
8. Set the rice aside once finished.
How to Prepare the Mushrooms:
1. Wash the mushrooms properly with cold water.
2. Pat dry with a paper towel.
3. In a separate skillet heat up a little coconut oil to a medium-high heat.
4. Cut the oyster mushrooms into large fist size chunks.
5. Once the pot is hot, place each piece of mushroom in the pot. Cook each side for about 6 minutes or until golden brown in color.
6. Place all the cooked mushrooms on a separate plate and set aside.
7. In that same skillet, place a little bit of the jerk seasoning in the hot pot and stir it on medium heat.
8. Add the mushrooms back into the pot. Using a spoon, glaze each mushroom chunk on both sides with the rest of the jerk seasoning.
9. Add some chopped scallions and cover the pot allowing the mushrooms to marinate and become infused with the flavors for about 15-20 minutes.
10. Once the mushrooms have taken on the brown color and fused with the seasonings, remove from the pot.
11. Serve with the rice and peas. You can also add a little salad and some fried plantains to your liking. Enjoy!
Added Notes:
- Use the amount of pepper in the seasoning that works for your taste.
- You can add a little water if necessary to tone down the heat while blending the seasoning.