Sarah Kirnon has been making fiery jerk chicken and sweet plantains since before she could drive. Growing up in Barbados with her grandmother, Miss Ollie, and nine other family members, she learned to think seasonally and cook on a large scale. (“We had a plot of land and farm animals,” Kirnon says. “And it wasn’t trendy or hip.”) But the island cuisine she made back then always stuck with her, even as she tried her hand at Italian, French, and Creole cuisine. Now, at Oakland’s beloved Miss Ollie’s, Kirnon puts a novel spin on the food of her youth—like spicy cucumber and mango chow, soul-warming rice and peas, and tangy collard greens that bite back. The best part? With a little specialty shopping, you can make all these dishes for your next backyard get-together. Just don’t go out and buy jerk-in-a-jar. “Making this food from scratch,” Kirnon says, “you’re really going to taste things differently.”
The Menu:
Miss Ollie's Jerk Chicken
Mango and Cucumber Chow
Garlicky Plantains
Sautéed Collard Greens
Coconut Rice and Peas
Rum Punch
The Jamaican Plate Breakdown
We take a look at the flavors and ingredients, moving clockwise from the jerk chicken on the left, that make Jamaican food so intensely (and beautifully) flavored.
All About Allspice
It’s simply not jerk chicken without allspice, which lends warm notes to the marinade.
Sweet Thing
When fried, ripe plantains develop a crunchy, caramelized exterior, no sugar added. That sweetness is a nice balance to any heat you may encounter from salads or spices.
Milk It!
This creamy take on rice and peas calls for coconut milk, which adds a distinct richness and sweet aroma to the dish.
Hot Stuff
Scotch bonnets (and habaneros) are very, very hot. If this is your first time cooking with them, stay on the low end of the range when making the mango and cucumber chow.
The Schedule
You don't need the stress of tackling every party task at once. Space them out, to allow for a few minutes of relaxation when needed.
A Few Days Prior:
Buy the plantains and let them ripen. Prepare the simple syrup for the rum punch up to three days early.
The Day Before:
Soak kidney beans. Marinate chicken in a large bowl. Cover and place in refrigerator.
The Morning Of:
Cook beans, let chicken come to room temp, and prep chow ingredients, minus the cucumbers.
That Afternoon:
Cook side dishes, mix rum punch, and finish chow.
1 Hour Before:
Grill the chicken.
And Your Party Needs Tunes
Kirnon shares a few of her favorite sun-tinged albums, which are all pretty good bets to spin at your party:
David Rudder – Beloved (1998)
Spice and Company – Born in Barbados (2010)
Peter Tosh – Legalize It (1976)
Calypso Rose – Soul on Fire (1990)