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Jerk Chicken

Jerk Chicken

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with Coconut Rice & Cucumber Relish

Yield: 2

Adapted from: Dinnerly

Fragrant coconut rice serves as the foundation to a zesty Jamaican-jerk spiced chicken and crisp cucumber relish topper.
Cook: 20 to 30

  • 5oz jasmine rice
  • ½oz unsweetened shredded coconut
  • 1cucumber
  • 2scallions
  • 10oz boneless, skinless chicken breast
  • AP flour
  • 2TBS White wine vinegar
  • ¼oz jerk seasoning
  • salt & pepper
  • sugar
  • olive oil


Toast coconut:

Heat 1 TBS oil in a small saucepan over medium-high until it shimmers. Add coconut and toast, stirring, until coconut is golden-brown and fragrant, 1–2 minutes (watch closely).

Cook rice:

Immediately, add rice, 1¼ cups water, and ½ tsp salt to saucepan with coconut, bring to a boil over high heat. Cover and cook over low until rice is tender and water is absorbed, for about 17 minutes. Remove from heat, cover to keep warm until ready to serve.

Make relish:

Finely chop ½ tsp garlic. Halve cucumbers lengthwise, then finely chop. Trim ends from scallions, then thinly slice. In a medium bowl, whisk together 1 tsp sugar, ½ tsp salt, 1 TBS each of oil and water, and 2 TBS vinegar. Stir in cucumbers and chopped garlic, set aside to marinate until ready to serve.

Prep chicken:

Dry Pat chicken and rub with oil. Sprinkle jerk seasoning over one side of each breast, pressing to adhere, then lightly dust with 2 tsp flour. Heat 1 TBS oil in a medium skillet over medium-high. Add chicken, spice side-down, cook until golden-brown and cooked through, 2–3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.

Sear chicken & serve:

Using a slotted spoon, drain cucumbers, then pour marinade into the same skillet. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook, scraping up any browned bits, until slightly thickened, about 1 minute. Fluff rice with a fork. Serve chicken over rice with sauce spooned over top. Stir scallions into relish and serve alongside. Enjoy!

Take it to the next level:

Want to put some lime in the coconut? Add some lime zest to the cucumber relish and serve remaining lime wedges alongside for squeezing over top.

Asian Pickles

Asian Pickles

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Pickled Napa Cabbage, Daikon, and Carrots

Yield: 4 Servings
Chichi Wang / Serious Eats

In this recipe from Susanna Foo, napa cabbage, carrots, and daikon are immersed in a brining solution of vinegar, sugar, and salt. Jalapeno peppers are added for just a touch of spiciness. Though the vegetables must be soaked in the brine for at least a day, the mixture will hold for two weeks. Crunchy and juicy, the julienned vegetables are pleasantly sweet and sour.

  • 3cups water
  • 1cup white vinegar, or 1 ½ cups rice vinegar
  • ¾cup sugar
  • 2TBS coarse or kosher salt
  • 1napa cabbage
  • 1daikon
  • 1small carrot
  • 2jalapeño peppers


Combine the water, vinegar, sugar and salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and let the mixture cool.

Cut off the leafy upper half of the cabbage and reserve for another use. You will only need the bottom ends with the thicker ribs. Cut each ribbed leaf in half lengthwise. Cut again into 1/8 inch strips.

Cut the daikon crosswise into thin, round slices, then cut each slice into a fine julienne. Soak in ice water for 5 minutes; drain.

Cut the carrot into a fine julienne.

Remove the stems from the jalapeno peppers and slice crosswise into thin slices.

Place all of the vegetables into a large bowl and pour the vinegar mixture all over, mixing well. The brine should immerse most of the vegetables; if not, add a bit of water to cover.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and weight it down with a pot of water or a heavy can. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours, or preferably for a day before using. Immersed in the brine, the relish will keep for up to two weeks in the refrigerator. This recipe can also be halved or quartered.

Quick Pickled Daikon and Carrot

Yield: 4 Servings

This recipe, from Hiroko Shimbo’s excellent book The Japanese Kitchen, is my favorite pickling recipe of all time. Shimbo’s technique is a hybrid process, involving an initial salting followed by a soak in a brining liquid of mirin and rice vinegar. The mirin imbues the vegetables with a winey sweetness that surpasses the abilities of plain sugar. During the summer, I try to have a bag of Shimbo’s pickled daikon and carrots on hand, for any overheating emergencies involving baked goods and tripe.

  • 2garlic cloves, minced
  • 4inches of daikon (3 inches in diameter), peeled and quartered lengthwise
  • 1medium carrot, halved lengthwise
  • 1tsp salt
  • ¼cup mirin
  • ¼cup rice vinegar
  • 2TBS sugar


In a bowl, toss the vegetables with the salt. Cover the vegetables with plastic wrap and weight it down with a pot of water or a heavy can. Let stand for five to six hours at room temperature.

Remove the vegetables from the bowl and place them into a sealable plastic bag, along with the mirin, sugar, and rice vinegar. Leave the vegetables in the bag at room temperature for three to four hours, shaking the bag every so often to distribute the liquid evenly.

Refrigerate the vegetables in the plastic bag overnight, or for up to 3 days.

To serve, cut the vegetable strips into 1/4-inch slices. Serve plain or drizzled with a bit of soy sauce.

Quick & Spicy Asian Pickles

Yield: 4 to 6 Servings
Jennifer Rubell / Epicurious
  • ¼cup rice vinegar
  • 4tsp sugar
  • 1tsp soy sauce
  • 1tsp fish sauce
  • ½tsp dried crushed red pepper
  • 2small English hothouse cucumbers


Whisk rice vinegar, sugar, soy sauce, fish sauce, and crushed red pepper in large bowl.

DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and Chill.

Slice cucumbers crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick rounds. Add cucumber slices to vinegar mixture; toss. Cover and chill ten minutes to 1 hour, tossing occasionally.

Vietnamese Quick-Pickled Vegetables

Yield: 4 to 6 Servings
Delspina / Epicurious

This easy quick-pickle is crunchy, sweet and salty. It’s the perfect accompaniment to Asian meat dishes or a colorful addition to salads and sandwiches. If you’re feeling creative, use the pickling mixture with other vegetables like asparagus, green beans or cauliflower.

  • ½cup rice vinegar
  • ¼cup sugar
  • 1tsp salt
  • 2carrots, thinly sliced
  • 2Thai bird or serrano chiles, stemmed and quartered lengthwise
  • 1(½-inch) piece ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 1large daikon, peeled and thinly sliced
  • ½English seedless cucumber, thinly sliced
  • ½red onion, thinly sliced


Put vinegar, sugar and salt into a large bowl and whisk until sugar is dissolved. Add carrots, chilies, ginger, daikon, cucumbers and onions and toss to combine. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to several hours before serving.