Braised Chicken with Bacon
Submitted by 147Thomas
Whole chicken braised in a clay pot with crispy bacon, onion, and garlic. Fall-apart tender bird cooked from a cold oven, finished with a simple pan-juice gravy.
YIELD
12 servingsPREP
10 minCOOK
1 hrsREADY
2 hrsClay pot cooking does something no Dutch oven or roasting pan can match. The water-soaked unglazed clay releases steam slowly throughout the 90-minute bake, creating a moist heat chamber that turns a whole chicken fall-apart tender without drying the breast meat. Crispy bacon scattered over the top drips rendered fat down through the bird for seasoning from above.
The cold-oven start is critical. Clay pots crack when subjected to thermal shock, so the pot goes into the oven before the heat comes up. Once 450°F (230°C) is reached, the clay is already conditioned and cooks with the chicken rather than against it. The finished bird is so tender the recipe’s promise is true: you can carve it in the pot without the usual wrestling.
Chef Tips
- Soak the clay pot at least 10 minutes, ideally 15, in cold water. Dry clay can crack under heat.
- Truss the chicken tightly. A loose bird splays open and cooks unevenly.
- Fry the bacon until just crisp before scattering. Soft bacon on top of the chicken stays pale and rubbery through the bake.
- Rest the chicken 10 minutes after pulling from the pot. The juices settle into the meat before carving.
Variations
- Add quartered potatoes, carrots, and celery around the bird for a one-pot dinner.
- Stuff the cavity with a halved lemon and fresh thyme for brighter flavor.
- Swap bacon for pancetta or smoked prosciutto for a different salt-cured note.
Ingredients
Directions
Soak the clay pot in cold water for 10 minutes.
Truss the chicken securely and sit it in the pot, breast side up.
Cut the bacon into small pieces and fry until crisp.
Drain the bacon and scatter it over the chicken breast.
Add the onion, garlic, chicken broth, salt and pepper.
Cover the pot and place it in a cold oven.
Adjust the heat to 450℉ (230℃) and cook for 1½ hours.
Drain the juices into a small saucepan.
Bring to boiling point and stir in the cornstarch dissolved in cold water.
Add the chives or parsley to the sauce and pour it over the chicken.
The chicken will be so utterly tender you will not have any difficulty carving it right out of the pot.
Serve with rice or noodles and a tomato salad.
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