Florence, Tuscany
The 'devil's chicken' of Tuscany: a whole chicken spatchcocked (backbone removed, flattened), pressed under a heavy weight (a brick wrapped in foil — the 'mattone'), grilled over charcoal at very high heat until the skin is charred and crackling-crisp and the interior is just cooked through. Seasoned with salt, black pepper, and chilli (the 'devil' character), and dressed with lemon and fresh rosemary. The weight ensures full contact between skin and grill, achieving an even char. A Florence trattoria standard.
Shatteringly crisp, charred chicken skin encasing just-cooked meat — the spatchcock mattone technique producing the most satisfying texture contrast in the Florentine trattoria repertoire
{"Spatchcock by cutting along both sides of the backbone with kitchen scissors; remove the backbone entirely","Open the chicken flat, press down on the breastbone to flatten completely","Season generously with salt, pepper, and crushed chilli 1 hour before grilling","Grill skin-side down first under the mattone (brick) at high heat 15–18 min until charred; flip, 12 min more","Rest 10 min before cutting — the juices redistribute"}
{"Brining the chicken 6 hours before grilling (4% salt brine) ensures the breast stays moist despite the high heat","The char on the skin is not burnt — it is the caramelised proteins and sugars; it should be crisp, dark, and flavourful","Salsa verde alongside is the Florentine trattoria tradition — its acid and herbs cut through the char beautifully"}
{"Oven-roasting instead of charcoal grilling — the char is the dish; oven cannot replicate it","No weight — the chicken buckles and gaps form; uneven cooking results","Cutting immediately — the breast dries out rapidly without the 10-minute rest"}
La Cucina Toscana — Giuliana Bonomo