Caribbean Jerk Bleu Cheese Chicken Sandwich

Today, I felt like traveling back to Jamaica where life is laid back, steel drums and breaking ocean waves carry you away and the food embodies Zestuous flavors.

I’ve traveled to the island a few times, but my favorite memory is eating jerk chicken grilled oceanside while sipping on a Red Stripe.

The heat in Texas has broken the century mark, rain isn’t forecasted for days and work has worn me and the hubs out. Although we can’t just hop a flight to the island, the power of food will take us there. This sandwich is full of heat, balanced with a sharp creamy dressing and wrapped in a sweet bun.

There are two ways to make this recipe. The easy way and the not so easy way. On weeknights, I go easy…but today, I wanted to do it up right, so I made everything but the jerk seasoning from scratch. The reason I don’t make my own jerk seasoning is because Gigi Ann’s blend of spices is awesome…no reason to mess with perfection.

To build this sandwich, spread the bottom bun with bleu cheese dressing. It’s important the creamy dressing is on the bottom because it will create a cool coating on your tongue in preparation for heat of the jerk. Then, top with a grilled jerk rubbed chicken breast.

Next, spread on Caribbean Jerk sauce, shredded lettuce and the top bun.

If you want to make this the easy way, buy hamburger buns, chicken breasts, bleu cheese dressing and Caribbean Jerk sauce. With the not-so-easy way, I made my own buns, cut the breasts from a whole chicken, made homemade bleu cheese dressing and homemade jerk sauce. Either way, grab a Red Stripe and some lawn chairs, tune the TV to reggae music and be “Ire Mon.” Mek wi nyam (Let’s eat!)

Homemade buns

I revised King Arthur Flour’s recipe, using weight measurements and fresh cake yeast.

490 grams King Arthur all purpose flour
50 grams sugar
20 grams fresh cake yeast
1 egg
10 grams salt
200 grams warm water
4 T. butter

Mix the flour, sugar, yeast, egg, salt, water and 2 tablespoons of softened butter in your stand mixer for 3-5 minutes, until a ball forms. Knead on the counter to form a ball. Place it back in the bowl, cover and let rise for 1 ½ hours.

Punch down the dough. Using a pastry scraper, divide the dough into eight equal pieces (about 105 grams each). Form each piece into a ball and place on a silpat-lined baking sheet.

Press the doughballs down, until they are about three inches wide. I had to press them down a couple of times because the dough was elastic. Cover and let rise for 1 hour.

Melt the other two tablespoons of butter. Brush half of the butter onto the buns. Bake in a 375-degree oven for 15-18 minutes. Remove from the oven and brush with the remaining butter. Cool and slice in half.

Caribbean Jerk Sauce

2 T. butter
½ red bell pepper, diced
1-2 habanero pepper, seeded and minced
2 scallions, sliced
2 tsp. Gigi Ann’s Caribbean Jerk seasoning
½ cup ketchup
2 T. apple cider vinegar
2 T. brown sugar

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the peppers and scallions. Sauté for 10-15 minutes, until very soft. Add the remaining ingredients. Reduce heat to low and let simmer for 30 minutes.

Homemade Bleu Cheese Dressing

4 ozs. Fage Greek yogurt
4 ozs. bleu cheese
1 T. apple cider vinegar
1 T. milk
¼ tsp. kosher salt
¼ tsp. black pepper

Whisk together all ingredients.

Caribbean Jerk Chicken

2 chicken breasts
2 T. Gigi Ann’s Caribbean Jerk seasoning

Cut two large chicken breasts in half. Rub each side of the chicken breasts with seasoning. Allow to sit at room temperature for 20 minutes. Preheat grill on high heat. Place the chicken on the grill so it sears, but immediately reduce the temperature to medium-low.

Grill chicken for 4-6 minutes; flip and grill for 4-6 more minutes, or until center reaches 180 degrees.

If you’re adventurous, you can cut your own chicken breasts from a whole chicken. I find it produces a juicier piece of meat. Watch this video to learn how.