POLLO ALLA DIAVOLA

Pollo Alla Diavola image

Provided by Martha Stewart

Number Of Ingredients 10

1 1/2 teaspoons crushed red-pepper flakes
1 (3-pound) chicken, boned, butterflied, and halved
Coarse salt
1 tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper
4 sprigs fresh marjoram
6 sprigs fresh thyme
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons tomato paste
Pickled Hot Cherry Peppers
1/2 cup chicken stock

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.