Jerk Chicken Kicks Off 'Jamaican Your January' Contest

Chef Alton Henry shared with us his recipe for The Perfect Jerk Roasted Chicken and showed off other tasty dishes. He and friend David Rooney helped us kick off PIX 11's Jamaican Your January vacation contest.

The Perfect Jerk Roasted Chicken

Note: Chef Alton Henry uses 2 tablespoons of Walker’s Wood Jerk seasoning, but if you cannot get any jerk sauce you can try this:

2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon white sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 Tablespoons soya sauce
1 Tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 (4 pound) whole chicken
5 cloves garlic, crushed

Directions
1. In a bowl, combine the salt, cloves, allspice, nutmeg, cayenne, cinnamon, and soya sauce. Rub the chicken with the mixture. Cover chicken, and place in the refrigerator for 24 hours.
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
3. Stuff the chicken cavity with the garlic. Place the chicken, breast side up, on a rack in a roasting pan.
4. Roast 25 minutes in the preheated oven. Reduce heat to 350 degrees F, and continue roasting. Baste chicken with pan drippings, and continue roasting 30 minutes, to an internal temperature of 180 degrees F. Let stand 20 minutes before serving.