Jamaican Oven Jerk Chicken (4 Servings)

Do not wash raw chicken. Pat it dry with disposable paper towels, make shallow cuts in thicker sections on a raw-poultry board, then wash hands and surfaces.

Mix ½ deseeded Scotch bonnet, 70 g scallions, 1 tbsp allspice, 2 tsp thyme, 60 ml jerk paste and 1 tsp chicken seasoning. Before any contact with raw chicken, reserve 1 tbsp in a covered clean sauce container and refrigerate.

Rub the remaining seasoning onto 1 kg raw chicken, cover and marinate in a refrigerator at 4°C or below for 2–8 hours. Do not reuse the marinade that touched raw chicken without cooking it.

Preheat a conventional oven to 180°C (160°C fan) and arrange chicken on a baking tray. Turn once halfway and roast around 45–55 minutes, checking with a thermometer that the thickest part reaches at least 74°C.

Combine the 1 tbsp seasoning safely reserved before raw-chicken contact with 30 ml jerk barbecue sauce, 120 ml water and 15 ml ketchup in a pan. Bring to a boil and simmer while stirring for 3–5 minutes.

Divide the fully cooked jerk chicken and hot sauce into 4 portions. Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours after cooking and reheat to at least 74°C.