It’s winter here in NY, and luckily for a change, it doesn’t feel like I’m submerged in an icebox. I knew I didn’t want seafood for dinner on a particular Sunday since I’ve been eating a lot lately. Ever had that feeling like you’re just so over everything? I had no clue what to cook. Then a lightbulb went off: why not have chicken wings? After all, it is a quick and easy palate pleaser. With a pineapple and no major plans for it, I quickly concocted the idea of a pineapple bowl for my jerked wings.
This would be the perfect combination of sweet and spicy. The mild jerk rub that I used on the wings would infuse just the right amount of heat, and the sweetness from the pineapple would be the perfect complement to the spiciness.
Jerking the Wings
Any self-respecting Jamaican knows that jerking is not merely limited to the rub applied to your meat/chicken, but that it is a method of cooking that requires special materials like pimento wood, and a contraption that ensures food contact with an open flame. Since I don’t have that whole set-up at my home, I opted for the next best thing, popping my wings into the oven. To season the chicken, I used a mild jerk rub along with the standard staples like salt, pepper, garlic powder, etc.
Prepping the Pineapple
A pineapple bowl is a very creative and cool way to showcase your dish. Using this bowl adds a bit of flair, and imparts some amount of authenticity to your meal experience.
Steps
– Cut the pineapple in half lengthwise.
– To one half, about 1 /2 inch from the edge of the fruit, make some horizontal and vertical lines with a paring knife.
– Scoop out the cubes from the bowl leaving a cavity to add your chicken.
– Replace some of the cubes in the pineapple bowl. This will create a base for your wings to rest on.
– Add the remaining cubes to the wings while cooking in the oven. This will help to caramelize the fruit and transfer some of the rich flavors to the dish.
– I added some sliced mini sweet peppers to the wings as well. I live for color, and these peppers jazzed up the dish just the way I wanted.
Finally, it’s time to serve and enjoy this tropical goodness in the middle of winter. I enjoyed very bite. This proved to be a great way to utilize my otherwise plain pineapple. I sliced up the other half of the pineapple and quickly devoured it since fruits don’t really stand a chance in my home.
Be Bold in the kitchen and give this a try.
