Why Silvia Colloca Loves This Spicy Chicken Dish
When Silvia Colloca thinks back to the meals of her childhood, she remembers the ritual of setting the table. “We always, always had sit-down meals, and it was our job [as children] to set the table. We hated it at the time, of course, but now it’s part of the beautiful memories.”
She also remembers plenty of bread on the table. “Italians love dunking – there’s a different word for it in every region of Italy,” she says. “In Milan, we call dunking puccia, and we dunk the whole day long – in our coffee in the morning, in the sauces at mealtimes.”
Having performed as an actor and an opera singer, Silvia has found a new following with her television food shows and books which showcase the Italian home cooking she learnt from her mother and grandmothers.
Her latest series, now screening on SBS, includes one of her favourite dunking recipes, chicken diavola, or devil’s chicken, so called because of the chilli hit
“This chicken has all the Mediterranean flavours packed into one tray, and as it bakes the flavours mingle and you get this incredible sauce. You add boiled potatoes to the tray and they absorb the flavour, too.”
The chicken is butterflied, which lets the entire bird bake more quickly, and the one-tray method cuts back on washing up. Silvia even serves the dish still in the tray. “In Italian cuisine, the gift for the eye is to recognise all the ingredients and that’s what happens here. You can see the onions, the garlic, the lemon slices, you know what you are about to eat.”
Cook Like An Italian, Season 2, premieres on SBS Food, Thursday 8 April at 8pm.
Chicken Diavola With Mediterranean Potatoes
2 organic chickens, butterflied
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to season
half a cup of extra-origin olive oil
half a cup of dry white wine
5-6 red hot chillies (chilli peppers), halved or cut into chunks
fresh herbs such as marjoram, rosemary and oregano
3 small onions, peeled and cut in half
3-4 garlic cloves, skin on, bruised with the back of a knife
1 lemon, cut into slices
a few handfuls of boiled potato wedges
Heat your oven to 180°C fan-forced (220°C conventional). Place the chickens onto a large roasting tray and season well with salt and pepper. Make sure to wash your hands thoroughly with soap and warm water straight after.
Mix oil, white wine, chopped chillies and herbs in a jug and pour onto the chickens. Scatter the onion halves, garlic, lemon slices and boiled potatoes over the tray. Roast for 60-70 minutes or until cooked through and golden brown on top, and allow to rest at room temperature for 10-15 minutes before carving.
Serve with your favourite side dish and plenty of red wine.
Serves 8
Interview_ Ute Junker
Photos_ Supplied