Clearly the Devil knows how to cook a chicken!

This is a classic Italian recipe, rarely or maybe never seen in the US restaurants.  Ideal for people who like to grill or who are on a diet and want to eat well.

Ingredients for 4 to 6 people

  • 1 whole chicken
  • Create a marinade by mixing:
    • ½ cup virgin olive oil
    • Juice of 2 lemons
    • 2 cloves of garlic, smashed
    • 6 leaves of fresh sage, minced
    • ¼ of cup of fresh rosemary
    • Salt and black pepper to taste

Preparation

  1. Using a cleaver or sharp knife, cut the chicken along the chest. Open it like a book. Press on it to flatten it.
  2. Pour the marinade over the chicken; massage well and let it sit in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes, preferably for 2 hours.
  3. Start the grill. I prefer mesquite or other natural briquettes (the devil does not use gas!)
  4. Cook the chicken on the grill for about 35 min—depending on the heat of your fire and the size of the chicken, the cooking time may vary between 30-40 minutes.
  • Turn the pieces over a total of 4 times
  • Each time you turn the chicken, brush the pieces with the marinade
  • I put a weight on the chicken to keep it flattened –I use a brick of marble, but a pizza stone works well, too. Of course the chicken will be black and burned: that’s why it is called the Devil’s chicken.  Eat everything, including the burned skin!  It tastes great.
  1. Buon appetito!

If you do not have a grill you can cook in an iron skillet on a (powerful) gas stove with heat at maximum, again putting a weight on the chicken to smash it down as it cooks.

Suggested Wine Pairing

I like a good Rosé from Calabria (Cirò Librandi, for example) or from Sicily (Regaleali Le Rose).

Italian version: Pollo alla Diavola

  1. Pollo aperto come un libro, tagliandolo lungo il petto.
  2. Metterlo a marinare con: 120 ml di olio d’oliva, 2 spicchi d’aglio schiacciati, 4-6 foglie di rosmarino, 6 foglie di salvia a pezzetti, 2 limoni spremuti, sale e pepe.

    Idealmente lo lasciate nella marinara 2 ore, al minimo 30 minuti.

  3. Accendere la griglia a carbone.
  4. Cuocere il pollo circa 35 minuti, dipende dalla potenza del fuoco e dalla grandezza del pollo, girandolo ogni dieci e spalmandolo con la marinata quando lo girate.

    Io uso una lastra di marmo che metto sul pollo per tenerlo schiacciato mentre cuoce.  Il pollo naturalmente sarà un po’ bruciacchiato, perciò si chiama pollo alla diavola!

  5. Buon appetito!

Se non avete la griglia potete cuocerlo in una padella di ferro sul fuoco a gas. Fuoco al massimo sempre usando un peso sul pollo per tenerlo schiacciato.

Vino: a me piace un Ciro Rosé Librandi o un Regaleali Le Rose, ma naturalmente un chianti ci sta a meraviglia, e se preferite, un Regaleali bianco.