Olympics Day 6: Jamaican Jerk Chicken

It's early still, but we haven't seen a bit of Olympics. That doesn't mean that it hasn't been an Olympic day. We started it off with our last international coffee, Starbucks Brazil Peaberry Yellow Bourbon. Finally, a coffee that was better than what we usually get in the grocery store, although probably not better enough to be worth the extra price. The beans were smaller than normal, note the "peaberry" in the name. There was a noticeable aroma, and a full, but not burnt coffee flavor. It was a nice, rich coffee.

We made Jamaican Jerk Chicken for dinner, which was quite an adventure. The Simply Recipes recipe called for a habenero pepper, which freaked both of us out more than a little. I cut the pepper, carefully holding it with a paper towel to not get the capsaicin on me. I decided to pick out the seeds to moderate the heat.

After adding the chopped pepper to the marinade, I was careful to wash everything that touched pepper very well. I scrubbed the knife a few times, and then tested if I got it clean by licking the side of the blade. I was surprised that it made my tongue tingle, so I washed it a few more times.

Gail and I both admitted that we were a bit afraid to eat the resulting chicken. I took the first bite, and while it was slightly spicy, there was no problem. I would call it mild. I think we were wise to be careful, but after cooking it and discarding the extra sauce, I would have liked a bit more heat.

The chicken had strong flavors of the lime and cinnamon, and we both enjoyed it. Neither of us thought the flavor was worth all the fuss.

To extend the Jamaican theme, I poured a Red Stripe lager. It's been a long time since I drank a Red Stripe. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this easy-to-drink beer. It had a simple, malty flavor with very little sweetness. I particularly noted the full mouth feel with no lingering aftertaste.