It doesn't mean a thing if you aint got that Ting.

(or jerk chicken part two)

Right, hopefully you have made the marinade for the jerk chicken and its currently in the fridge working its magic.

The 'hard' work is over, however as stunning as the jerk chicken is, there are some wicked sides and accompaniments that can really make this dish special. We will leave the rice and peas and coleslaw for a different post and concentrate on the accompaniments.

I didn't just fall in love with cooking when i went to the Caribbean I fell in love with hot sauce as well. It sounds ridiculous to even to me, but it kinda changed my life. The world of cooking opened up and with it, hot sauces. The choices are almost endless, with different countries specialising in different chilies, they come in a rainbow of colours and a such varying heat they deserve their own unique scale of measurement called the Scoville.

Hot sauce is a must with this dish and it really should be a West Indian hot sauce. The one you see a lot, and it seems to me you can get almost everywhere, is the Encona West Indian Hot Pepper Sauce. It has that beautiful mouth watering taste that all good Caribbean hot sauces should have, that can only be described as sweet fire.

What better beverage to have in your hand to try and fire fight your jerk chicken, than Ting. I like to think of it as the Caribbean's answer to Orangina. It is fizzy, proudly made with Jamaican grapefruit (loads of sugar) and love... probably. 

The tart grapefruity tang of Ting and the sweet fire of the hot sauce might not be everyones' cup of tea, but believe me when I say it's authentic, delicious and more than worth a try. Oh and you can buy both from Tesco's (other supermarkets are available).

Make sure you have these two accompaniments to hand when eating jerk chicken.  If it wasn't for the fact it's rained all summer, you might be forgiven for thinking you were in the Caribbean.