Pollo Alla Diavola (Chicken Devil's Style)

Directions

On a stove burner, heat the olive oil in a small pan over medium heat.

Add the chili pods and sauté them until they are a deep, dark brown.

Turn off the heat and cool the olive oil and throw away the browned chilies.

(The alternative is to add tabasco sauce to the oil to make it hot without cooking it).

Crack the leg and wing joints of the chickens loose and spread them out, skin side up on a board or clean counter.

Pound the chickens with a meat mallet to flatten them out.

Add the juice of 1 of the lemons to the seasoned olive oil along with 3 or 4 twists of pepper.

Put the chicken halves in a big bowl, pour the seasoned olive oil over them and turn the pieces over and over to coat them well.

Let the chicken stand for 1 to 2 hours, turning the halves from time to time.

Start your charcoal grill.

When your grill is heaped high with hot coals, put the marinated chicken halves on to cook, skin side down.

Sprinkle the chicken with salt and a little more pepper, grill thoroughly, turning and basting with the remaining marinade.

The chicken is done when it is tender and has a dark brown crust all over (some spots may well be charred) You can use the broiler in your oven, but an oven broiler never seems to get hot enough.

If you want to try, preheat the broiler, put the chicken as close to the flame or coil as possible and broil it, turning it frequently and basting it often.

Serve chicken hot with lemon wedges.