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My Firehouse Kitchen: Red Devil Chicken

Chef Joseph Bonanno | Firehouse Cuisine | Chef Joe

By Chef Joe Bonanno

Hello, and a hearty welcome to My Firehouse Kitchen.

Memorial Day Weekend is upon us once again. A time to recognize the sacrifices our veterans, police and firefighters make now and throughout history for our freedoms. I’m originally from New York and Memorial Day weekend was always the start of summer – boats, beaches, bikes and barbecues!In the Northeast as I remember, it also was the opening of some of  the nicest summer resorts I’ve visited: Block Island, Fire Island, The Hamptons, Newport, Cape Cod, Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard.
On Memorial Day weekends, along with the fireworks were the amazing smells of residents grilling their favorite summer recipes. After publishing my grilling cookbook (who knows “fires” better than a firefighter?) The Firehouse Grilling Cookbook, Martha Stewart invited me on her show at her studio in Connecticut.
This is the recipe I made on air with her. Not easy to impress, but it became one of her favorites. You can see the episode if you like on my website (click on the videos tab and you’ll find it).  It was always a hit at the firehouse too!
I’ll be back with more great recipes, cooking tips, nutrition, health and exercise tips!  A unique FDNY expression when work was done was the order by the chief or dispatcher to “Take Up” meaning take up firefighters, gear and apparatus and head back to the firehouse. Enjoy the recipe and until next time, I’ll Take Up!
Red Devil Chicken…………………..Makes 4 servings
One 4-pound chicken, rinsed and patted dry
1/3 cup dry white wine
1/3 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, crushed through a press
2 tablespoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon salt
1. Using a cleaver or heavy knife, cut down one side of the backbone to cut the chicken in half.  Cut down the other side and discard the backbone. Place the chicken on a work surface, skin side up. Press hard on the breastbone with the heel of your hand to flatten the chicken.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the wine, oil, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, red pepper flakes and salt.  Place the chicken and marinade in a zip lock plastic bag. Close the bag and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 2 hours.
3.Build a charcoal fire on one half of an outdoor grill and let burn until covered with white ash. Place a large disposable aluminum foil pan on the empty side of grill and fill halfway with water. For a gas grill, preheat on High. Turn one side off and keep the other side on high. Place foil pan on the off side filled halfway with water.
4. Remove the chicken from the marinade. Lightly oil the cooking grates. Place chicken, skin side down on grates and directly over the water filled foil pan. Weigh the chicken down with either a cast iron pan or a brick wrapped in foil.  Cover and cook for 25 minutes. Remove the brick or cast iron pan and turn chicken over. Cover and continue cooking without weight until the chicken shows no sign of pink when pierced at thigh bone, about 25 additional minutes. Using a cleaver or heavy knife, chop chicken into quarters and serve hot.
For more information about Chef Joe or to see his videos and get more recipes, go to chefbonanno.com.

Chef Joe Bonanno | Chef Bonanno | Memorial Day | Chicken Recipes | Food | TB Reporter

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