#47 Cotswolds Orange Jerk Paste

This jerk paste is not for the faint hearted! It packs a punch and therefore a jar of our paste goes a long way.

Recently we tested it with a local chef who recommended 25 medium sized chicken thighs with skin on and bone in for a single jar. Probably 1 tsp/thigh marinated for a couple of hours with a little oil to spread it out more easily.

I myself like to roast the thighs on a bed of onions, garlic and peppers. I’ve also boiled a pan of new potatoes and added the stripped down meat and vegetables to those with some chopped chives, or fresh coriander, mayonnaise (I like the Japanese one as it’s got a little more richness). Others use natural yoghurt. You still get the Cotswolds #47 Orange Jerk kick but it ends up being a full dish. Ideal for a cricket club tea with a few pieces of lime to squeeze over!

Why #47 I guess you’re asking. Well, it is orange and it is a jerk!

Full recipe -

Marinate skin on and bone in chicken thighs for at least two hours in a tray. Use a whole jar of Cotswolds #47 Orange Jerk and use some vegetable oil to swill out the jar and a grind or so of sea salt.

Cook at 160c for 40 mins with a splash of water, then baste, turn the oven to 190c for 5mins with a tiny amount of honey to crisp off the skin (you can use brown sugar or maple syrup if you prefer).

This is a family recipe from my mother, an Indian chef who ran her own Cookery School and made TV programmes.

She had her own Garam Masala and added various ingredients to that which I have built on and created into a single ‘mix’ that can be added to meats and vegetables to deliver a fantastic curry with great flavours and aromas without having to think about what other spices to include. I use lamb shoulder or neck fillets. But it works well with pork shoulder, chicken, beef and of course vegetables.

It is not designed to be anything more than medium yet so if you like it hotter, add more chilli powder to the Saroj Mix, or fresh chillies at the start of the cooking process.

With lamb shoulder I would sprinkle a little of the mix over my cubed shoulder or fillets. Maybe a teaspoon.

Fry in veg (or mustard if you like it) oil 2-3 large chopped onions, 5-6 plump cloves of sliced garlic (and fresh chopped chilli if you want it hotter), and add a little salt. Caramelise and add the meat when the mix colours. Add 1-1.5 tbsps of Saroj Mix per 1 kg of meat or vegetables - amount depends on your preference. Stir everything and let that work together for a few minutes to get some colour on the meat. Add a tablespoon of tomato puree, a whole tin of tomatoes and 1/2 of that tin swilled out with water. Can also add a couple of fresh tomatoes if you like.

Add a little salt and pepper to season and bring to the boil before turning off your pot and popping it in the oven. Cook at 160-170c for a couple of hours with the lid on until you can put your fork through the meat. Low and slow works well.

Finish with fresh coriander and a squeeze of lemon.

I love to make this either as a potato curry or a chicken curry. Any cut of skinless chicken. But it’ll work well with beef, sweet potatoes and more. It’s very fragrant.

Fry up 2 medium onions, 5 garlic cloves and an inch of ginger. All chopped. Pinch of salt. Add a tin of tomatoes or 4-5 fresh tomatoes. A squeeze of tomato puree. Then a tablespoon of the Goan blend. Cook until the mix breaks down and separates. 20-30 mins. Add in 4 chopped peeled potatoes or 3-4 chopped skinless chicken pieces. Cook for about 10-15 mins and then add a tin of coconut milk and finish in the oven or on the top. Seasoning at times to taste and fresh chopped coriander at the end.