I have a huge affinity for spicy food; really spicy food, the kind that makes tears run down my face and my nose run and my ears ring. I make my own hot sauces from chili peppers at Shaul Farm that range from pure heat and fire, to a little milder but really flavorful. I also make my own Jerk marinade.
Jerk seasoning, which originated in Jamaica, comes as either a dry rub or a marinade, and the best kind is always homemade. I put about 6 scotch bonnet (habanero) peppers per cup of Jerk marinade, so needless to say my marinade is a$$ kicking hot! We are in the process of designing the menu for our much anticipated Wine Bar, and we plan to put jerk shrimp on the menu so I decided to try it for myself and my mother last night. I marinaded my shrimp for 3 hours in the jerk marinade (but didn't marinate my mother's), and then skewered and grilled the shrimp. I basted my shrimp with the marinade on each side, and basted my mother's on one side.
We made a basil and watermelon salad to go with the shrimp, because the sweet cool of the watermelon and basil would be a good pairing to offset the heat of the shrimp, and we are considering doing the same paring at the Wine Bar.
The shrimp were incredibly hot, but very flavorful. My mother who loved the flavor commented that if it was any hotter she wouldn't be able to enjoy it (Punk! to think I only basted hers on one side)...but she made a good point because when cooking for others I've learned that everyone's tolerance for spice is not the same therefore I'm going to make a new marinade that is less "potent" in the upcoming weeks. I will definitely have this dish at the Wine Bar!
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