Oven Jerk Chicken

I know, the Blog is called "Grilled Meats and Good Eats" but sometimes you just don't have the time to fire up the grill with all the activities and curve balls life throws at you.  So for this recipe I am going to offer up an oven version of Jerk Chicken.  First you are going to need some chicken.  It doesn't matter whether you use a whole cut up chicken, all thighs, legs or just the breast.  Just get some chicken and you will be good.  I prefer skin on, since it keeps the chicken moist while cooking, ovens are a dry heat you know.  Next you will need a good Jerk sauce or paste.  There are plenty recipes on the web if you want to make your own. Two of my favorite off the shelf or mail order Jerk sauces and pastes are  Mi Hungry BBQ and Jamaican Cuisine Hot and Spicy Jerk Sauce and Walkers Wood Jerk Paste.  Walkers Wood is excellent and I brought several jars home from Jamaica.  Be careful though, Walkers Wood can be pretty darned hot.  They use good old fashion kick your butt Scotch Bonnet peppers in their paste.  Remember to wash your chicken good under cold water and pat dry with a towel.  You never know who or what has been fondling your chicken.  From there, just follow the steps below.

1. Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Line a baking sheet with tin foil.
3. Place a baking rack on top of the foil.
4. lather up your bird with the Jerk sauce of your choice (pull up the skin gently and wiggle a finger under the skin to make a pocket then make sure some sauce gets under the skin.)
5. Bake, basting every 15 or 20 minutes with sauce.
6. When your chicken breast reach 165 degrees F, (use a meat thermometer) they are done.  If using legs or thighs, they should read 180 degrees F.
7. Remove chicken from the oven, let rest for 5 minutes or so and dive in. Save some sauce for dipping your chicken pieces into as you eat.
8. Serve with some sweet potatoes or come cool mixed fruit salad.

You can get both of my recommended sauces/pastes off the internet.  A Google search will get you there.  I found the Mi Hungry sauce at Dierberg's Market here in St. Louis, Missouri.  Feel free to let me know what you think of the chicken.  Of course, use a grill to add a smokey flavor if weather and time permits.  I recommend setting up a charcoal grill for indirect heating (coals on one side), searing the chicken off directly over the coals, then moving them over to the side with no coals for the remainder of the cook time.  Hope you enjoy.