Devil's Style Chicken with Beer, Potatoes, and Onions

17/11/2023

Devil’s Style Chicken is a classic in Italian cuisine with a spicy twist. Brewing preparation will add another layer of flavor. Here is the recipe with a truly Italian touch:

Ingredients

1 whole chicken or in pieces split at the breast to be flattened
2 cloves of garlic
Fresh rosemary
1 chili pepper (or chili powder, depending on your preference for spiciness)
Salt and pepper to taste
Extra virgin olive oil
330 ml of beer (preferably an amber or a pale ale)
Potatoes to taste
Shallots to taste
Juice of 1 lemon

Preparation

Prepare the chicken by scoring the skin in several places. If you have chosen a whole chicken, after cleaning it well, open it so as to be able to flatten it (the famous “book” method).
In a mortar, crush the garlic with rosemary, chili, salt, and pepper until you get a paste.
Rub the mixture obtained on the chicken so that the spices penetrate well into the crevices and under the skin.
In a large pot or a baking dish, arrange the chicken and pour the beer over it. Let marinate for at least one hour to absorb the flavors.
In the meantime, clean and cut the potatoes in half. Peel the onions.
Preheat the oven to 200 °C.
After marinating, add the potatoes and onions to the tray with the chicken. Drizzle everything with a stream of extra virgin olive oil and the juice of the lemon.
Bake and cook for about 1 hour and 15 minutes or until the chicken and vegetables are golden and crispy on the outside. During cooking, occasionally baste the chicken with its cooking juices to maintain moisture.
Check the cooking by inserting a toothpick into the thickest part of the chicken: if clear juice comes out, the chicken is ready.

Serve the devil’s chicken with beer hot, accompanied by the potatoes and onions now roasted and soaked in the aromatic cooking juices. It is a dish with a robust flavor and a strong character, perfect for an informal dinner but rich in taste.

Curiosities

Devil’s Style Chicken owes its name to the strong seasoning that recalls the infernal heat. The beer version is a recent variant that benefits from the aromatic properties of the beer itself and its ability to soften the meat fibers during cooking.