POLLO ALLA DIAVOLA

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Maialino_Pollo-alla-Diavola

Maialino Pollo alla Diavola

From Chef Nick Anderer

Serves 4

  • 1 (3-pound) chicken, boned, butterflied, and halved
  • 1 tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper
  • Coarse salt
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes
  • 4 sprigs fresh marjoram
  • 6 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • Pickled Hot Cherry Peppers *see next page
  • 2 teaspoons tomato paste
  • 1/2 cup chicken stock
  1. Place red pepper flakes in a spice grinder; pulse until ground. Season chicken with salt and pepper; sprinkle ground red pepper flakes on flesh side of chicken only. Tear marjoram sprigs and 4 thyme sprigs; sprinkle evenly over both sides of chicken. Place in a large baking dish, cover, and refrigerate overnight.
  2. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
  3. Heat a large cast-iron skillet over high heat; add olive oil. Remove marjoram and thyme from chicken. When olive oil is hot, add chicken, skin-side down. Place an aluminum foil-wrapped brick on top of chicken and transfer to oven. Cook until juices from chicken run clear, 8 to 10 minutes; turn and cook for 30 seconds more.
  4. Transfer chicken to a large plate and set aside. Drain fat from skillet and return to medium-high heat. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring, scraping up any browned bits in pan, about 1 minute. Remove 1/2 cup of pickling liquid from peppers and add to skillet, along with chicken stock, 6 pickled peppers, and remaining 2 sprigs thyme. Let cook until sauce is reduced by half, 3 to 5 minutes.
  5. Transfer sauce to a large serving platter; top with chicken; serve.

 

*Pickled Hot Cherry Peppers

Makes enough for 4 servings

  • 20 hot cherry peppers
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 5 cups Champagne or white-wine vinegar
  • 1/4 cup coarse salt
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed
  • 1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
  • 2 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 1 dried bay leaf
  1. Preheat oven to 500 degrees.
  2. Using a sharp knife, split peppers lengthwise, but do not cut all the way through peppers, leaving them whole. Place in a large bowl and drizzle with olive oil; toss to combine. Transfer to a baking sheet and roast until slightly softened, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl; set aside.
  3. Combine vinegar, 1 cup water, salt, sugar, garlic, peppercorns, thyme, and bay leaf in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Pour vinegar mixture over roasted peppers and let stand at room temperature until cool. Cover and refrigerate at least 3 days and up to 4 months before using. Bring to room temperature before eating.