Quick-Smoked Jerk Chicken

To prepare jerk paste: Combine scallion greens, onion, Scotch bonnet (or habanero), garlic, brown sugar, lime juice, vinegar, oil, allspice, thyme, salt, cinnamon and pepper in a blender; puree. Transfer the mixture to a bowl.

To marinate chicken: If using bone-in chicken breasts, cut each breast in half crosswise to make two portions; trim visible fat from the chicken. Add to the jerk paste and refrigerate for 1 hour.

To grill chicken: Place 2 large handfuls of hickory woodchips in a large bowl, cover with water and let soak for at least 30 minutes.

Preheat a gas grill to medium or build a two-zone fire (coals on one side of the grill) in a charcoal grill and let it burn down to medium heat (about 400 degrees F).

If using a gas grill, turn off one or two burners (depending on your grill) so one part is no longer lit. Add one handful of soaked woodchips directly onto the charcoal or into a stainless-steel smoker box. (To improvise a smoker box, see Tips.)

When the wood begins to smoke, oil the grill rack (see Tips). Remove the chicken from the marinade and place on the rack above the unlit portion of the grill. (Discard any remaining marinade.) Close the lid and cook, adding the second handful of soaked woodchips after 15 to 20 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat registers 165 degrees F, 33 to 35 minutes.