Recipe: Jamaican Jerk Chicken Salad with Honey Mustard Vinaigrette

JAMAICAN JERK CHICKEN SALAD

1/2 cup Honey Mustard Vinaigrette (recipe follows)
1 teaspoon finely grated lime zest
4 chicken breast halves without skin, boneless
1 tablespoon Jamaican Jerk Rub (recipe follows)
2 large, fresh mangoes
10 to 12 cups mixed greens

Stir together honey mustard dressing and lime zest. Cover and chill dressing while preparing chicken.

Rinse chicken and pat dry. Pierce chicken along the grain with a knife and rub the dry rub into the chicken.

Grill the chicken over medium-high heat about 6 minutes on each side until browned and no longer pink. (To get score marks, turn the chicken four times.)

TO SERVE:
Thinly slice each chicken breast at a 45-degree angle. Arrange warm chicken and mango atop greens on four plates; drizzle with the vinaigrette.

HONEY MUSTARD VINAIGRETTE

1 tablespoon fresh minced ginger
2 tablespoons chopped shallots
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon stone ground mustard
2 tablespoons honey
1/2 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients except oil in a blender. With the motor running, add in oil to emulsify.

HOMEMADE JERK RUB
Makes about 1/2 cup

2 tablespoons onion powder
4 teaspoons dry thyme leaves, crushed
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground allspice
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

In a bowl, combine all ingredients.

Store leftover seasoning in a tightly closed glass jar. It will keep for more than a month.

Makes 4 servings
From Sur La Table
Source: Diane Peterson, NYT Regional Media Group, June 27, 2007