CHICKEN ALLA DIAVOLA
If you’ve never brined a chicken, this will convert you. I like to use a milder, hot red pepper flake such as Korean or Aleppo for this dish.
1 3-4 lbs (1.5-2 kg) chicken
1/2 cup (125 mL) sea salt
8 cups (2 L) cold water
4 bay leaves, crumbled
1/4 cup (60 mL) extra-virgin olive oil
10 large cloves garlic, minced 1 tbsp (15 mL) coarsely crushed black pepper
2 tsp (10 mL) hot red pepper flakes
6 bay leaves
2 tbsp (30 mL) lemon juice
2 tsp (10 mL) lemon zest
1. To prepare chicken, cut along both sides of backbone with kitchen scissors. Remove and save for stock. Open chicken like a book then flip over and use the heel of your hand to flatten breastbone. Pound it all over with your fist.
2. Combine salt, water and bay leaves in a large container or stockpot and stir until salt dissolves. Immerse chicken in brine and refrigerate for 2 hours. Remove and pat dry.
3. While chicken is brining, heat the oil in a small pan over medium low heat. Add the garlic, black pepper, pepper flakes, and bay leaves. Cook until garlic is fragrant and just turning golden.
Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. Divide mixture into two small bowls, keeping all the bay leaves in one.
4. Loosen the chicken skin around the breast and thighs.
Smear pepper mixture without bay leaves evenly underneath the loosened skin. Add lemon juice and zest to the bay leaf mixture.
For grilling outdoors: Set your barbecue up for indirect grilling at 350 F (175 C), and cook the chicken skin side up for 40-55 minutes on the cool side until an instantread thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 165 F (74 C). Flip the chicken over, skin side down, onto the hot part of the grill to deeply brown it.
To cook indoors: Heat oven to
400 F (205 C). Place chicken skin side up in a shallow metal pan. Cook for 40-55 minutes until an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh registers 165 F (74 C). Remove from grill or oven; rest for 10 minutes. Remove the legs, chop in half through the joint. Split the breast, cut each piece in half horizontally. Transfer to a serving plate, drizzle with the remaining pepper mixture and serve.