Pollo alla diavola

This recipe was inspired by my dear friends Jess and Dave. Whilst my father was very ill, they sent me a hamper packed with foodie delights. It contained a vacuum packed 'pollo alla diavola' or a butterflied devil's chicken. It was a succulent, fiery bird that could be heated in the oven very easily and came out tender.

Pollo alla diavola recipe

Ingredients

Oregano and chilli vinaigrette

Dried oregano: 1 tablespoon
Dried chilli flakes: 1 tablespoon
White vinegar: 1/2 cup
Olive oil: 1/2 cup

Chicken

Chicken: 2 x ~1.5 kg chickens
Dried sage: 2 tablespoons
Salt: 1 teaspoon
Chilli paste (e.g., harissa): 1/2 - 1 tablespoon
Dried rosemary: 1 teaspoon
Black pepper (freshly ground): 1/2 teaspoon
Lemon: 4 - 6 Slices
Birds eye chilli: 1 - 2
Dry white wine: 1/4 cup

To serve

Potatoes
Pumpkin (e.g., see Pumpkin with sage and burnt butter)
Salad (e.g., see Burrata and prosciutto salad)

Method

Oregano and chilli vinaigrette: Mix dried oregano, chilli flakes and white vinegar into a jar. Leave to infuse for at least 2 days. Add olive oil and mix well.
Butterfly chickens and score breasts, drumsticks and thighs. Press down into heavy based tray and cover thoroughly with oregano and chilli vinaigrette. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Use a mortar and pestle to blend salt, sage, chilli paste, rosemary and pepper. Cover chickens with the paste. Insert lemon slices and chilli as desired into the slits made into the chicken. Let the chicken stand at room temperature for 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 220C. Roast the chickens in the oven, skin side up. Add the white wine to the bottom of the tray. Baste the chickens periodically with the vinaigrette every 15 - 20 minutes until the chicken is cooked (this should take ~45 minutes). When roasting the chickens, you may want to cover the wing tips as they are prone to burning.
Pre-heat the overhead grill. Grill chickens for ~3 minutes until brown and crisp.