Chicken in a Pot ( deep dish south)

By TheKitchenQueen

Best chicken and potatoes !!!!

Ingredients

• Brine:
• 6cups6 cups of water
• 1/2cup1/2 cup of packed brown sugar
• 1/4cup1/4 cup of kosher salt
• Springs of fresh thyme, optional
• 1/2teaspoon1/2 teaspoon of whole peppercorns, optional
• Casserole:
• 1(4-5 pound)1 (4-5 pound) whole chicken
• Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
• 3cloves3 cloves of garlic, smashed & peel removed
• 5slices5 slices of bacon
• 1cup1 cup of sliced onion
• 1tablespoon1 tablespoon of canola or vegetable oil
• 3tablespoons3 tablespoons of butter, softened at room temperature, divided
• 2pounds2 pounds of potatoes, sliced 1/4-inch thick
• 1/4cup1/4 cup of water
• 2sprigs2 sprigs of fresh parsley
• 2sprigs2 sprigs of fresh thyme
• 2small2 small bay leaves

Preparation

Step 1

Prepare the brine and add the chicken at least 3 hours before cooking. Before cooking, rinse well and pat dry with paper towels. Season the chicken cavity generously with salt and pepper and stuff the smashed garlic into the cavity; truss the chicken and set aside.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Slice bacon into the bottom of a large skillet and lightly brown. Add onion and cook until slightly softened. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon and onion to a Dutch oven. Add the oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter to the pan drippings in the skillet and add the chicken, browning on all sides, about 15 minutes total; remove and transfer to the Dutch oven. To the pan drippings in the skillet add the potatoes, sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper and toss to coat. Add water and bring to a boil. Cover the skillet and boil the potatoes for about 3 to 4 minutes to steam them. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter to the potatoes; toss to coat completely. Transfer the potatoes to the Dutch oven, placing them around the chicken.

Sprinkle chicken with salt, add the parsley, thyme, and bay leaves; cover and place into the oven. Cook at 325 degrees F, covered, basting a couple of times with the pan juices, for about 1-1/4 to 1 hour 40 minutes, depending on the size chicken, or until chicken is cooked through. Carefully remove the chicken to a carving board, tent with aluminum foil and let rest for 5-10 minutes; cut into serving pieces.

"Mary, I tried this last night with some chicken breasts (with ribs attached) ... I didn't have any bacon but I had some bacon grease in the fridge, so after brining (about 5 hours), I browned the onion, garlic, chicken and potatoes in a little bacon grease (no butter or oil), seasoned it all, and then put everything in a large roasting pan and baked for an hour and a half. It was SO GOOD!!!! The chicken breasts were moist and juicy and everything had a wonderful flavor. THANK YOU -- this recipe is a keeper (and I can't wait to see how the chicken tastes cold ... yummm!!!)."