Jerk Chicken with Mango Cilantro Relish

I was in the mood for a carribean inspired dish and had come across this recipe on Joelen's Culinary Adventures. This is the perfect summer dish. Great for the grill and the mango relish adds so much freshness. Adam continued for days going on and on about how good the relish was. He said you could put this on anything...chicken, burgers, steak....so needless to say he loved it. The chicken was super moist and packed full of flavor. I halved this recipe and made it using four chicken thighs and I removed the skin to save on the calories and it tasted wonderful. I'm sure it's great with the skin too. I also omitted the cloves because Adam hates them and can detect them in anything and didn't have any thyme so I omitted that too. I listed the full recipe below with those listed so you would have the option to leave them in or take them out.

Jerk Chicken with Mango Cilantro Relish
Source: Joelen's Culinary Adventures recipe adapted from Bobby Flay

1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 onion, coarsely chopped
2 scallion, coarsely chopped
1 large jalapeno pepper, stem and seeds removed (optional)
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated or 1/4 tsp. ground ginger
3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme (I omitted)
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon light brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
Pinch ground cloves (I omitted)
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
4 chicken thighs, skin on, bone in
4 drumsticks, skin on

Serve with Mango Cilantro Relish (recipe follows)

Directions:

Puree all the ingredients, except the chicken, in a food processor until almost smooth. Pierce the chicken with a fork to make tiny holes. Place the chicken in a large shallow baking dish and rub the marinade into the chicken. Cover and refrigerate for 24 to 48 hours, depending on how intense you want the flavor to be.

To grill - preheat grill. Grill chicken on each side for 5 to 6 minutes or until cooked through.

To bake - preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place chicken on baking sheet lined with foil and bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 160 degrees.

Mango Cilantro Relish

Ingredients:

2 mangoes, peeled and diced
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
3 tablespoons lime juice
3 tablespoons fresh orange juice
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions:
Combine the mangoes, onion, cilantro, lime juice, and orange juice in a bowl and gently mix. Season to taste with salt and pepper. This relish can be made ahead.