Introduction
Chicken a la Diavola is traditionally a Tuscan recipe, literally meaning Chicken in the devilâs style. For this lovely recipe, chicken is usually marinated for 2 days and then cooked in wine, which gradually captures the essence of the mind blowing Italian cuisine. The marination is prepared of white wine along with big bunch of dried Sicillian oregano, two days prior to cooking. Afterwards, the marinated chicken is seasoned by various exotic herbs, such as, Turkish bay laurel and myrtle leaves. You can also use other exotic herbs to add zing to the dish. After all, cooking is all about experimenting. By tradition, Chicken a la Diavola is grilled over wood ashes, but you can also roast it in an oven, or over gas flames, or charcoal. Prepare this authentic recipe for your family and friends, and surprise them with a lovely Italian treat.
Complexity level
Moderate
Time taken
3 hours plus 2 days of infusion
Ingredients
1. Two chickens, weighing 3 pounds each
2. Half a cup of white wine vinegar
3. Half a cup of extra virgin olive oil
4. Two teaspoons of desiccated sage
5. One teaspoons of desiccated rosemary
6. One tablespoon of dried oregano
7. One teaspoon of kosher salt
8. Half a teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper
9. One teaspoon of Piment dâ Espelette or half a teaspoon crushed red pepper
Process
1. Mix the white wine vinegar with dried oregano. Cover it up and let it stand at room temperature. After two days, strain the vinegar into a small bowl and pour olive oil into it and mix properly.
2. Remove the backbones and wing tips from the chicken carefully using a kitchen knife. Now, place the chicken in a large baking tray with skin side up and breastbones pressed down tightly so that the legs do face the breasts. Make small marks on the thighs, breast, wings, and drumsticks each middle way to the bone in two places per part. Pour half the vinegar and oil mixture over the chicken ensuring that it gets spread over the meat equally. Also, rub the mixture well on the chickens. Cover it up and refrigerate for an hour.
3. In a small bowl, combine the dried sage, dried rosemary, black pepper, Piment dâ Espelette and kosher salt to form a seasoning. Rub the chicken with this seasoning. Now, let it stand at a room temperature for 30 minutes.
4. Preheat the oven to 425 degree. Roast the chicken in the oven with the skin side up. Pour the remaining vinegar and oil mixture when the chicken is half cooked. You may also rub this mixture when the chicken is fully cooked. The chicken will take approximately, 45 minutes to be cooked entirely.
5. Preheat the broiler. Now, pour the pan juices into a saucepan. Let the chicken broil in it from 4 inches above the heat. Keep rotating the pan for about 3 minutes, till it becomes brown and crisp. Finally, slice the chicken and serve with the remaining pan juices.
Tips
The vinegar and olive mixture does not get spoiled easily. It can be refrigerated for up to 2 weeks.
