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Special Jamaican Jerk Marinade The number of versions of jerk marinades is nothing less than astonishing. They range from early, simple pastes of three or four ingredients to more-modern and rather complicated concoctions with as many as twenty-one spices, herbs, and vegetables. Of course, every one of them is "authentic, secret, and the most flavorful"–as is this one, after careful taste-testing. By varying the amount of vegetable oil and lime juice added, the cook can change the consistency from a paste to a sauce. Traditionally, the marinade should be very thick. It can be used with pork, chicken, or fish, which is smoke-grilled slowly and basted with the marinade. 1/4 cup whole Jamaican pimento berries 3 Scotch bonnet chiles, seeds and stems removed, chopped 10 green onions, chopped 1/2 cup chopped onion 4 cloves garlic, chopped 4 bay leaves, crushed 1 piece ginger, 3-inches, peeled and chopped 1/3 cup fresh thyme 1 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg 1 teaspoon freshly ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon salt (or more to taste) 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper 1/4 cup vegetable oil 1/4 cup lime juice Water as needed Roast the pimento berries in a dry skillet until they are aromatic, about two minutes. Remove and crush them to a powder in a mortar or spice mill. Add the pimento powder and the remaining ingredients to a food processor, and blend to make a paste or sauce. Remove and store in a jar in the refrigerator; it will keep for a month or more. Yield: 2 to 3 cups Heat scale: Hot l'Exotic Sauce Dynamite Here is a typical Madagascar-style sauce that was served at the Restaurant l'Exotic in Montreal. The sauce accompanied most of the entrees at l'Exotic. It can also be added to soups or stews to spice them up. 12 bird's eye chiles, crushed 3 tablespoons freshly ground ginger root 3 tablespoons freshly ground garlic 1 medium onion, peeled and diced 1/4 cup tomato paste 1 cup distilled white vinegar 2 teaspoons salt 1 cup water 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme Combine all the ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for fifteen minutes. Remove from the heat, cool, and puree in a blender. Transfer the sauce to a small jar. It keeps for up to a year in the refrigerator. Yield: 2 cups Heat scale: Hot
