The secret to a good jerk sauce

With this recipe from Levi Roots and Jamie Oliver, you can make the ultimate Jamaican jerk sauce that goes with everything. Sweet, spicy, smoky and sticky.

The marinade contains influences from all kinds of cultures (British, French, Spanish, West African, Portuguese, Indian, Chinese) and is usually used with meat, slow roasted on the barbecue or in the oven. Popular with chicken or pork, but also delicious with beef and vegetables.

Key ingredient: Scotch bonnet peppers

Jerk consists of a mixture of allspice (pimento), cloves, cinnamon, spring onion, nutmeg, fresh herbs such as thyme and flat-leaf parsley), garlic, honey or brown sugar, ginger, salt and, last but not least: Scotch bonnets. These are yellow, green and red peppers that grow in the Caribbean, especially in Jamaica. They have a round shape (something like small bell peppers) and are spicy, sweet and fragrant. The peppers are often compared to the Habanero from Mexico, but are usually slightly smaller, sweeter and a little less hot.

Traditionally, jerk dishes are served with beans and rice, but meat marinated in jerk sauce is also great in a sandwich.