Photo: adactio / Flickr

Devilling was popular in the 19^th century, especially when it came to heating up any leftover chicken pieces from the previous day’s dinner. Dr Kitchiner had this to say about Devil sauces: ‘Every man must have experienced that when he has got deep into his third bottle… his stomach is seized with a certain craving which seems to demand a stimulant. The provocatives used on such an occasion an ungrateful world has combined to term devils.’

Devilled chicken

To prepare devilled chicken for four, you will need eight chicken joints. They should be meaty and freshly or partly cooked. The sauce is the key element and for this you will need the following ingredients: 100 grams of butter, 1 level tablespoon of dry mustard, 2 tablespoons of dry breadcrumbs and 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce. Have some cayenne pepper and salt at hand to season the sauce.

You will also need a tablespoon of mango atjar or fruit chutney. Atjar is similar to chutney in that it is also a condiment made with fruit and spices. Chutney is smoother than atjar, since atjar contains chunks of fruit.

Prepare the sauce

Allow for a preparation time of 20 minutes and a cooking time of approximately 15 minutes. Prepare a grill pan by lining it with a sheet of lightly greased aluminium foil. Place your juicy chicken joints into the lined grill pan and then set about preparing the sauce.

Place the butter, breadcrumbs, Worcestershire sauce, mustard and atjar (or chutney) into a bowl.Now make sure that the ingredients are well mixed. Break up the fruit pieces and then season with some cayenne pepper and salt.

Grill and serve

Spread the Devil sauce over the chicken pieces and put them under a gentle grill. Allow the sauce to slowly brown as the chicken cooks or heats through.

Use the leftover sauce by pouring it over the chicken pieces before serving the meal on warmed plates. Serve the spicy flavoured devilled chicken with a green leafy salad, a coleslaw salad or a potato salad in warm weather or some mashed potato and green beans on cool days.

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