2018 Pan finalist Nicola Edwards' search for the perfect Pan chicken

Pan 2018 finalist Nicola Edwards' foray into Pan chicken can be described as a happy accident.

For over a decade, Edwards has held a corporate position at a development company in the role of customer service and sales manager. Eight years ago, she was relocated to the Hanover office. Edwards, who enjoyed dining out at Pan chicken spots in Kingston, was excited to see what Pan spots she could discover in Hanover. She remembered the Pan chicken of her childhood fondly; the flavours and smells coloured her dreams and inspired her imagination. She was eager to rediscover that pleasure in Orange Bay.

Edwards visited the jerked chicken spots in the area, sometimes traveling quite a distance, but each time, she left disappointed. Pan chicken was her favourite thing to eat, but no Pan chicken vendor could give Edwards exactly what she desired.

"I realised the Jamaican jerk chicken we had when I was a child - we nah get it again. Nobody cared about making authentic jerk chicken anymore. The seasonings were wrong. The love wasn't there," says Edwards of her search.

Pan chicken, to Edwards, was a serious thing. "I prayed on it," she says. "That's how much I wanted to find the right blend of elements."

What exactly was missing for Edwards? The seasoning. Her issue was that chicken was not being seasoned with the right herbs and spices.

TRIAL AND ERROR

A perfectionist to her core, Edwards sought the answer in her own kitchen. Her quest for the perfect Pan chicken involved mountains of research and many hours of trial and error standing over a hot grill in her husband's restaurant. With each batch, Edwards critiqued and refined her recipe, until she landed on exactly the flavour she desired.

"My research showed me that Walkerswood jerk seasoning is really the best thing in combination with certain herbs. I must have talked to over 20 Pan men throughout the island, questioning them on how they made their chicken. Nobody tells you their secret, but you can kind of piece things together," says Edwards.

"I also learned that the flavour of CB chicken is better than other brands. CB chicken is the right chicken for Pan," says Edwards.

Once Edwards' unlocked the secret to authentic Jamaican jerk chicken, it wasn't long before a 'side hustle' was born. She now caters Pan chicken for tourists and small groups in Hanover. She also started teaching the chefs in her husband's restaurant the proper way to do Jamaican jerk chicken.

This April, Edwards husband's restaurant was entered in the Camilla Prada jerk competition, but the restaurant was suddenly short-staffed. At the request of her husband, Edwards and a junior chef went to represent the establishment. They ended up placing first.

"I felt like people thought we won by accident," says Edwards of her surprise win. "They don't take me seriously as a chef. They see a woman dressed in corporate attire and ask me what I know about jerk." But Edwards was not deterred.

"That's why I took it upon myself to enter the CB Pan competition. I will show everyone how very deeply I am dedicated to Pan chicken. You can taste the love and pride I put into my chicken. It is truly an art, jerking chicken. It's not everyone who can do it."

Edwards hopes to spread her love of Pan chicken by educating young Jamaican men in her special technique and setting them up with their own jerk pans in select locations throughout Hanover. She wants to give back to the youth by

reigniting the art of grilling authentic Jamaican jerk chicken so that young men can connect with that Pan pride and make a living for themselves.

"It can't be about you in this life," says Edwards, "When you can help someone, take the opportunity."

Edwards hopes to one day expand her own catering side hustle into a full-time business, but for now, she is happy with life as it is. She has found exactly what she was looking for: the perfect Pan chicken.