SO, I got this interesting looking recipe from the very nice folk at Pillsbury for a ‘Sweet and Spicy Jamaican Jerk Roll Up’, and it looked good.
Only thing was, it called for 1/2 cup of jerk seasoning sauce, and, while I like my Busha Browne’s, and regularly stock up on it at the European Imports Sale, I didn’t have 1/2 cup of the stuff to toss around in a new recipe.
Hmmm.
QuickLikeABunny – to da Google!
And da Google had a solution.
I could make my own jerk sauce.
All I would need is some Allspice berries – easily found in the spice aisle of most markets, but! – if you have a spice merchant handy (or the time to order online) – you will save a bunch o’ money and get better quality. This 4 oz bag o’ berries was almost $2 less than a jar at the market across the street from the spice shoppe!
OK, Allspice berries procured, let’s make us some jerk sauce!
INGREDIENTS
•1/2 cup allspice berries
•1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
•8 garlic cloves
•1/2 cup jalapeño jelly
(or, use your fresh hot pepper(s) of choice – Scotch Bonnets are traditional)
•1 tsp thyme
•6 scallions, white and light green bits only
•1 tsp cinnamon
•1/2 tsp nutmeg
•1/2 tsp Caribbean Calypso Seasoning
•1 tbsp orange juice
•2 tbsp soy sauce, to moisten
•1/2 tsp sea salt
•1/2 tsp black pepper
Note: as is usual for a buzzyfoods recipe, this is not an ‘authentic’ Jerk Sauce recipe – I’ve compared recipes and comments on recipes and arguments about the comments on recipes and then went my own way to make a jerk sauce that I thought would be good. It is; but, if you want ‘real’, please help yourself to da Google.
Preparation itself could not be easier:
Place all the ingredients, except for the sea salt and pepper, into the bowl of your blender or food processor fitted with the metal blade and purée until liquified.
Give the sauce a taste, then add salt and pepper to your liking – I thought 1/2 teaspoon of each was nice.
Transfer to a jar with a tight-fitting lid and store in the fridge where, I am told, it will keep indefinitely. Or, until you use it up; I like a bit of jerk sauce on a grilled steak, have come across a Jerk Shrimp Salad I want to try, and then there was that pork recipe that started this whole thing.
But that’s a tale for tomorrow…