This dish fuses elements from Mexico, most notably in the shape of tacos or tortillas, and Jamaica, in the form of the best selling "Reggae Reggae" sauce. Viewers of BBC TV hit Dragons Den will be familiar with the successful pitch of musician, latterly TV presenter, nutter and all round good guy Levi Roots. According to his website, Jamaican born Levi learnt how to make his own brand of spicy sauce from his grandmother whilst growing up in his homeland.
Dragon's Den Success
After moving to England he showcased his sauce at the Notting Hill carnival, before his successful TV breakthrough led to his product being sold by all major retailers, following an initial success with a deal with a well known supermarket. This sauce works brilliantly as a marinade with chicken and vegetables, but this following recipe can be used with most stir in sauces, be it Jamaican, Chinese or Indian.
Jamaican Chicken with Tacos
- 1 Chicken Breast, defrosted if it has been in the freezer
- 1 red pepper, chopped and deseeded
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1/4 bottle of "Reggae Reggae" sauce, or any other jar of stir-in sauce
- 1 pack or tin of button mushrooms
- 2 tacos
Easy to Cook Method
- Start by stir-frying the chopped up chicken in the sauce over a medium heat in a wok or frying pan. Cook for around fifteen minutes unti the chicken is lightly browned, make sure there are no pink bits remaining to ensure the chicken is cooked properly.
- Whilst it is cooking, cut up the pepper into strips, and the onion finely. Add them to the chicken. Cook the onion and pepper for around five minutes or so to make the vegetables nice and crunchy.
- Add the mushrooms until they are browned.
- Cook the tacos following the packet instructions; the easiest way is a minute or two in the microwave, sprinkled with water beforehand.
- Add the chicken and vegetable mixture to the tacos once the ingredients have been mixed with the sauce.
- To serve, add some crunchy lettuce leaves, some potato wedges that have been cooked for half an hour in the oven, and some mayonaise or salad cream.
Versatile Dish
The great thing about this dish is that it literally only takes around half an hour to cook, and you can mix and match the ingredients. No worries about presentation, cost or time, it can be whizzed out in next to no time. Try a variety of the aforementioned sauces, and also a range of vegetables that can be cooked simply in a pan. Chickpeas, sweetcorn, peas, any in fact that can be bought in bulk in tins, frozen packets or fresh. For something a little more extravagant, try mangetout, larger open mushrooms cut up small, or a set of spring onions. Whatever takes your fancy, give it a whirl and be creative! The spiciness of the sauce combines well with the crunchiness of the vegetables and the succulent chicken. Great for a late summer meal, but also for a hearty, warming meal to brighten up any miserable autumn evening.
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