I found a recipe from Mario Batali's Molto Italiano that fit the bill called "pollo al diavolo" aka "The Devil's Chicken." It's a whole roasted chicken glazed halfway with a mustard/spice mixture for a hit of tongue-wagging heat and flavour. Perfect for a chilly fall eve. There's a lot of play available with this recipe since you can pretty much put whatever spice you want in there depending on the desired effect.
First thing I did was butterfly the chicken. The process is also called "spatchcocking" - a far more effective description I think. This serves a few purposes: it helps cook the chicken in a significantly shorter amount of time; you get even cooking throughout - no tough and stringy breast while the thigh is gushing crimson; it allows you to season the bottom/inside of the chicken for more flavour; it increases the amount of cover any stuffing/vegetables you plan on roasting with the chicken so they don't burn too quickly, while also getting basted properly by the chicken juices. Watch this video from my partner Rouxbe.com showing you exactly how to spatchcock a bird.
Next, liberally season the entire chicken's surface with kosher salt and cracked pepper, then rub on some olive oil. Let it sit for 10 minutes to let the salt and pepper get into the skin. During this time, preheat the oven to 400° F. If you have some veg you want to roast with the chicken, rough chop them into similar sizes, toss with salt, pepper and olive oil, then line the roasting pan with them. Sit the chicken on top of the veg. I used carrots, parsnips, potatoes, fennel and onions, and I also tossed them with fennel seed (coz I am HOOKED on that stuff!). Feel free to use whatever root veg you want - winter squash like butternut or acorn with cinnamon or cumin would work fantastic as well.
Now roast the chicken until the skin starts turning a light-medium brown, about 35-40 minutes. I like to turn the chicken about 25 minutes in to ensure more even cooking. While this is all happening, start prepping the spice spread.
The only requirement is a base of good-quality spicy mustard (none of that neon yellow McD crap) and a little olive oil to make it easier to spread - then you just go crazy after that.
I went with:
- a grainy sage-honey-citrus mustard from Stock Pot
- olive oil
- cracked black pepper
- kosher salt
- cayenne pepper
- fennel seed
- dried oregano
- herbes de provence
Once again, feel free to put whatever spices you want to match the season, your mood, or your side dishes. Also put as much or as little spicy as you prefer.
Use a spoon to spread the mixture all over the chicken. Don't forget the little crevasses between the body and the legs - you want to cover every last inch of it! You don't need to put it on the bottom - the salt and pepper you put on earlier will be fine. Just for sh*ts and giggles, I put a little glug of bourbon into the pan to help deglaze the veg ;-)
Let it go another 15 minutes, then start checking the temperature of the chicken. Once it's done, pull the chicken out and let it rest. I don't bother covering as it just makes the skin soggy, and who wants that? Check your veg - if they're not quite done, drain a bit of the pan juices, and let the veg roast until they are ready. Once again - the veg finish is your preference - you like them mushier? Leave them in longer. Like it browner? Jack up the heat. Just remember, the longer you let them cook, the colder the chicken gets!
I braised some beet stems and greens on the side, and sauteed some gorgeous local chanterelles with garlic and just a touch of white wine. Carve the chicken, spoon some of the jus on top, and you've got dinner.
It seems like a lot of work, but it really isn't. It's quite hands-off once the chicken is roasting. Prepping the spice spread takes a minute at the most, and just look at that plate - that's droolrific ;-)
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