3553. BULGARIAN CAST IRON CHICKEN with BACON and SAUERKRAUT

makes four servings


½ pound slab bacon, diced
1 whole (3-4 pound) chicken, quarter
salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 large or 2 small onions, chopped
vegetable oil, if necessary
2 small sprigs thyme
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon sweet smoked paprika
1 pound sauerkraut
½ cup chicken stock or water

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Render the fat from the bacon in a large cast-iron skillet or ovenproof pan set over medium heat. Remove the bacon and set aside. Season the chicken with salt and pepper to taste on all sides, and brown in the bacon fat. Transfer to a plate. Brown the onions in bacon fat, adding a bit of oil if necessary. Add the thyme, bay leaf, red pepper flakes, and paprika, and sauté briefly. Return the bacon to the pan and stir to mix in. Add the sauerkraut to the pan and stir to mix. Arrange the chicken pieces around the top of the pan on top of the sauerkraut and add the stock. Transfer the pan to the oven and roast the chicken, uncovered, for about 40 minutes, checking the chicken pieces for doneness after 30 minutes. (If the pan begins to dry out, add a bit more stock.) The chicken is cooked when the juices run clear and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reads 165°F. Serve the chicken immediately with plenty of sauerkraut and pan juices.


bacon recipe source: Edible Brooklyn: The Cookbook, compiled by Rachel Wharton (Sterling Epicure, 2011); on Cooking by the Book (@CBTBINC), May 17, 2012