If you’ve been kicking around my blog  for a while you’ll know I’m all about balance, not just in terms of food but in terms of life in general (well, I’m as balanced as I can be…there are wagons I occasionally and positively love to fling myself off). So I sat thinking about the last dish I posted – The Greek Grill and tried to figure out the ‘flip side’ to it and all it’s moving parts.

What came screaming to mind was Puglia…..a place I frequent a bit (little Sister lives a lavish life in this Southern Italian paradise). I’ve eaten and run riot in Puglia and the hook, at least in terms of food is simplicity – Pugliese cuisine leave the raw materials nowhere to hide, they have to be incredible (and they are).

So my balance to the Greek Grill is a very simple Pugliese devilled chicken that I’ve had on more than one occasion with my Italian in-laws and out-laws – and truth be told the first time it was set in front of me I though…”is that it”? That was it…..and that was all that was needed – try this and you’ll know.

This is peppery, salty, lemony and has sting in its deviled tail – the idea with this is that the marinade lives on the skin mostly and the flesh remains relatively untouched until that is you rip into it and introduce the seasoning via your own messy fingers…….

WHAT YOU NEED – for 2

2 Poussin

200 mls olive oil

2 tps cracked black pepper

2 tps salt flakes

1 tps hot chili flakes (or more if you feel like it)

juice of 1/2 lemon

2 garlic cloves minced

HOW YOU DO IT

STEP1: My preference for this dish is to spatchcock the chicken as a mean to allow a greater absorbing of flavour and a speedier cooking process.

STEP2: Start with the marinade – combine oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, chilli, garlic – set the Poussin into a roasting tray and bath in 1/2 of the marinade, reserve the rest for basting later.

STEP3: Cling the roasting tray with the Poussin and sling into the fridge for minimum 2 hours.

STEP4: To cook either BBQ for 8-10 minutes on each side (rotate regularly) or roast for about 25-30 minutes at 200c- but in order to accommodate differing temps you must cut into the chicken deep into the thigh and check.

STEP5: Serve this dish with nothing more than a shredded root salad or even better some ripped crusty bread.

 

FEEL LIKE A BEER? TRY THIS:

PERONI