Some like it hot
David Herbert From: The Australian September 24, 2010 4:57PM
Devil's chicken with beans and fennel salad. Picture: George Seper Source: The Australian
POLLO alla diavola, or devil's chicken, is usually cooked on the barbecue or grilled, but roasting works well too; it is fairly simple to make and requires less attention.
This version is moderately hot, but add extra dried (or even a little fresh) chilli, if desired. I usually halve the spatchcocks after roasting. The fennel and ¬radish salad gives nice crunch and the Sicilian-style beans aninteresting sweet/sour note.
POLLO ALLA DIAVOLA (DEVIL’S CHICKEN) WITH BEANS AND FENNEL SALAD
leaves from 2 sprigs rosemary, chopped 1 tablespoon dried oregano 100ml olive oil juice of 1 large lemon
1 teaspoon dried crushed chillies or chilli flakes 4 spatchcock
Combine herbs, oil, lemon and chilli with some freshly ground black pepper. Pour this over the spatchcocks and rub inside and out. Cover with plastic wrap and leave in the fridge to marinate for a couple of hours, turning occasionally. Preheat the oven to 200°C (fan-forced 180°C) and lift the birds out of the marinade, reserving the marinade. Season them with sea salt and roast for about 50 minutes, brushing occasionally with remaining marinade. Remove from oven, cover with foil, and rest in a warm place for 10 minutes while you prepare the beans. Serve with the beans and fennel salad. Serves 6-8
MIX & MAX
If you were enjoying this chook supper in Sicily, you’d probably be washing it down with a few bottles of local white wine made from the crisp, lemony-tasting catarratto grape or the more savoury carricante variety. Neither of
these is (yet) planted in Australia, but it is possible to find very good locally made examples of other southern- Italian white grapes such as gently perfumed fiano, full-bodied greco and bone-dry vermentino, all of which would work well.
SICILIAN-STYLE GREEN BEANS
700g green beans, trimmed 4 tablespoons olive oil 125g coarse country bread, torn into small pieces 3 tablespoons raisins 3 tablespoons pine nuts 2 cloves garlic, finely sliced 3 anchovy fillets, chopped juice of 1⁄2 lemon 1⁄2 cup fresh mint leaves
Simmer beans in a saucepan of boiling salted water for about 3 minutes, or until tender. While the water is coming to boil and the beans are cooking, heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a ¬frying pan and fry bread, stirring, until it is golden. Add remaining oil and stir in raisins, pine nuts, garlic and anchovies. Allow pine nuts to toast and press anchovies to break them up. Drain beans, then transfer to a serving bowl. Stir on the bread mixture, lemon juice and mint. ¬Season with salt and pepper.
FENNEL AND RADISH SALAD
2 bulbs fennel Juice 1 lemon 2 tablespoons olive oil 6 radishes 2 tablespoons chopped chives
Halve fennel bulbs and trim off roots. With a sharp knife, slice them as thinly as possible. Place sliced fennel in a bowl and pour over lemon juice and olive oil. Thinly slice the radishes and add to the fennel. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and set aside to marinate for about 10 minutes. Just before serving, stir through chives.