Preparation time: 15 minutes
Marinade time: 2 hours in a refrigerator, or overnight if possible
Cooking time: 30 minutes

Serves 6

Ingredients

6 chicken portions
3 small hot chillies (birds eye or Scotch Bonnet), deseeded for a milder strength
3 pieces of fresh root ginger, about 1″ (25mm) cube each
6 spring onions, trimmed
2 to 3 cloves of garlic
1/2 teaspoon of ground allspice
1 teaspoon of paprika
1 teaspoon of dried thyme
pinch of ground cinnamon
pinch of ground cloves
5 tablespoons of light soy sauce
6 tablespoons of white wine vinegar
freshly ground black pepper

1. Place the spring onions, chillies, garlic, ginger, thyme, paprika, allspice, cinnamon, cloves, wine vinegar, soy sauce and pepper in a food processor and make into a smooth paste.

2. Place the chicken portions in a dish and pour the mixture over. Turn the portions so that they are well coated. Transfer to a refrigerator and leave to marinade for at least 2 hours, overnight if possible.

3. Remove the chicken from the dish, keeping the marinade for basting, and grill over hot coals for about 30 minutes. Turn occasionally and baste with the remaining marinade.

4. Serve at once on individual plates.

Tip: Cooking a Whole Barbecue Chicken

For whole birds and other foods that take longer to cook, consider a heat proof digital thermometer. These have a base unit that sits on the counter and a heat proof cord that connects the temperature probe to the base unit.

The probe stays in the food during cooking and the base unit displays the temperature throughout the cooking time. Slide the probe into the breast on a whole chicken.

Connect the cord to the base unit. Turn the base unit on and follow the manufacturers instructions for setting the desired end temperature. Once the end temperature is reached, remove the chicken from the heat.

Using a meat thermometer when barbecuing any meat is highly recommended for the best and most hygienic results.