Spicy Cornish Hen Polletto Alla Diavola Recipes

SPICY MAPLE CORNISH HENS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Place a wire rack on a rimmed baking sheet.
• Pat the game hens dry and place on the prepared rack. Mix the butter, 1/3 cup maple syrup and 2 tablespoons brown sugar with the salt and all the spices in a bowl. Rub the birds with the butter mixture, making sure it gets in all the cavities and under the skin. Reserve any unused butter for later. Sprinkle the hens with a little extra salt and paprika.
• Roast for 30 minutes, then baste with the juices at the bottom of the baking sheet, or a little of the remaining butter. Return to the oven and roast until the juices run clear and an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thigh (do not touch bone) registers 165 degrees F, another 15 to 30 minutes more. Remove the hens to a cutting board or serving tray to rest and remove the rack. Pour the dry sherry into the hot baking sheet and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits; add a little of the stock if necessary. Transfer the sherry mixture to a small saucepan and add any remaining butter. Melt over medium heat. Meanwhile, mix the cornstarch with 2 tablespoons chicken stock in a small bowl to make a slurry. Add the slurry and the remaining stock to the saucepan along with the remaining 1/3 cup syrup and remaining 2 tablespoons brown sugar. Cook, whisking constantly, until the mixture thickens, about 5 minutes. Serve the game hens with the sweet and spicy gravy.

SPICY CORNISH HEN (POLLETTO ALLA DIAVOLA)

Steps:

• Rub the Cornish hens' skin, inside and out, with the peeled garlic clove. Discard the clove. Spread the red pepper between the skin and the meat. Season all over with black pepper. Place the hens in a nonreactive pan. Drizzle the lemon juice and olive oil over them then scatter the sliced garlic, rosemary, thyme, and jalapeño over them. Cover the pan with plastic wrap and let rest in the refrigerator overnight. The next day, remove the hens from the marinade, pat them dry, and season the skins with salt. Set a heavy cast-iron skillet large enough to fit all the hens (or use 2 or more smaller skillets) over medium heat. Place the hens, skin side down, in the skillet and press them with a spatula or weight (such as a cast-iron pan or foil-wrapped brick) to obtain a golden-brown crispy skin, then turn them over and repeat. Depending on the size of the hens, this will take 25-30 minutes altogether. Place each hen on a dinner plate and serve at once. VINO This spicy dish requires something that can stand up to its spice, like a full-bodied Brunello di Montalcino from Tuscany.

POLLO ALLA DIAVOLA

Steps:

• Add half a chilli, 1 clove of garlic, a teaspoon of herbs and a pinch of paprika ito a bowl and roughly mash together, coat the chicken in this and wrap in foil. Place this in the oven at 200degrees in a fan oven and cook for 30 minutes
• Add the oil to a saucepan and fry the onions on a high heat for around 3 minutes.
• Add the the green peppers, chillies,tomatoes, mushrooms and 1 clove garlic and adjust to a medium heat. Cook this for 4 minutes.
• Add half the tin if tomatoes and a dash of olive oil and simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Then add the extra garlic, herbs and jalepenos and give it a stir
• Use a wooden spoon to mash the larger chunks of tomatoes, both tinned and fresh. Crumble over half the stock cube and stir in the leftover tinned tomatoes and the wine. Simmer for 10 minutes.
• Add a squeeze of lemon and the tomato purée. Continue to cook until the chicken is ready. Stirring occasionally.
• After 30 minutes take the chicken out and open up the foil, return to the oven for 10 minutes turning the heat up to full. Serve with the sauce poured generously over the chicken.

SPICY CHICKEN WITH OLIVES (POLLO ALLA DIAVOLA CON OLIVE)

Steps:

• Position rack in upper third of oven; heat to 425°F Lightly grease 1 large roasting pan or 2 baking dishes with oil. Open chickens and put them, skin-side up, into pan.
• In a small bowl, mix together mustard, black pepper, marjoram or oregano or sage, rosemary and red pepper flakes. Spread mustard mixture over chickens, distributing mixture evenly; season with salt. Drizzle each chicken with 1 teaspoon oil.
• Bake chickens for 20 minutes. Sprinkle olives over chicken, add wine to pan and continue baking until skin is golden and chicken is cooked through, about 30 to 35 minutes more.
• Transfer pan to a wire rack, tent with tin foil and let chickens rest for 5 minutes, spooning juices over the top. Serve with juices.

POLLO ALLA DIAVOLA

Steps:

• Place red-pepper flakes in a spice grinder; pulse until ground. Season chicken with salt and pepper; sprinkle ground red-pepper flakes on flesh side of chicken only. Tear marjoram sprigs and 4 thyme sprigs; sprinkle evenly over both sides of chicken. Place in a large baking dish, cover, and refrigerate overnight.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
• Heat a large cast-iron skillet over high heat; add olive oil. Remove marjoram and thyme from chicken. When olive oil is hot, add chicken, skin-side down. Place an aluminum foil-wrapped brick on top of chicken and transfer to oven. Cook until juices from chicken run clear, 8 to 10 minutes; turn and cook for 30 seconds more.
• Transfer chicken to a large plate and set aside. Drain fat from skillet and return to medium-high heat. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring, scraping up any browned bits in pan, about 1 minute. Remove 1/2 cup of pickling liquid from peppers and add to skillet, along with chicken stock, 6 pickled peppers, and remaining 2 sprigs thyme. Let cook until sauce is reduced by half, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Transfer sauce to a large serving platter; top with chicken; serve.