Jerk Chicken with Sweet Potato Festival & Mango-Ginger Cooler

About this meal

A hearty Jamaican lunch featuring spicy, aromatic jerk-marinated chicken grilled to perfection, paired with sweet potato festival—a sweet, slightly spiced fried dumpling—accompanied by a refreshing mango-ginger cooler. This meal is designed for weight gain, using whole, nutrient-dense ingredients and healthy fats, and it stays lactose-free by using coconut milk in the festival.

Ingredients

• Chicken thighs (boneless, skin-on) — 250g
• Scallions — 2 stalks
• Scotch bonnet pepper — 1 (seeded)
• Fresh thyme — 2 tsp
• Allspice (pimento) — 1 tsp ground
• Garlic — 2 cloves
• Ginger — 1-inch piece
• Brown sugar — 1 tbsp
• Soy sauce (low sodium) — 1 tbsp
• Lime juice — 1 tbsp
• Olive oil — 2 tbsp
• Sweet potato — 1 medium (about 200g)
• All-purpose flour — 1 cup
• Cornmeal — 1/4 cup
• Baking powder — 1 tsp
• Coconut milk (canned, unsweetened) — 1/2 cup
• Sea salt — 1/2 tsp
• Honey — 1 tbsp
• Coconut oil (for frying) — 3 tbsp
• Ripe mango — 1 large
• Fresh ginger — 1/2-inch piece
• Lime — 1
• Fresh mint leaves — a few sprigs
• Filtered water — 1 1/2 cups

Steps

1. Prepare jerk marinade: Blend scallions, scotch bonnet, thyme, allspice, garlic, ginger, brown sugar, soy sauce, lime juice, and olive oil until smooth.
2. Marinate chicken thighs in the jerk mixture for at least 1 hour (overnight for best flavor).
3. Grill or roast chicken at 220°C (425°F) for 25-30 minutes, turning once, until cooked through and slightly charred.
4. For sweet potato festival: Boil and mash sweet potato; allow to cool.
5. Mix flour, cornmeal, baking powder, sea salt, and honey in a bowl.
6. Add mashed sweet potato and coconut milk to flour mixture; knead into a soft dough. Divide into small logs.
7. Heat coconut oil in a skillet; fry festival logs over medium heat until golden brown on all sides.
8. For the mango-ginger cooler: Blend mango flesh, ginger, juice of 1 lime, mint leaves, and filtered water until smooth. Add ice if desired.
9. Serve jerk chicken hot, alongside sweet potato festival and a glass of mango-ginger cooler.