Clay Pot (Römertopf) Chicken With Bell Peppers & Broccoli

Whether you've used a clay pot (such as a Römertopf) before, or if this is your first try at using one, this clay pot chicken with sweet bell peppers and broccoli is an easy recipe to pull off.

We'll walk you through all the steps to ensure your clay pot baked chicken comes out perfectly! The best part is there is 'almost' no work to be done!

You may have read about the wonderful cooking attributes that a Römertopf or other similar clay baking dishes lend to the food that is prepared in them. If not you can read more about the history of clay bakers, why they work, how to use them in our guide: What is Clay Pot Cooking.

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Clay Pot Baked Chicken With Sweet Bell Peppers And Broccoli

Before we jump into the recipe, it goes without saying that you'll need a clay pot such as a Römertopf or a EURITA CLAY ROASTER. You can purchase one online brand new, or check out second hand stores in your area. Sometimes you'll get lucky and find a used one cheap!

The secret to properly using a clay baker to roast your chicken is to make sure it has been soaked in water for about 15 minutes before cooking with it. This ensures the clay can absorb enough moisture to properly cook all the food we're going to place inside it.

As the clay baker (and this is regardless of brand), is soaking follow the directions below to prepare your chicken and vegetables for cooking.

Ingredients

Make sure you have:

• 1 whole 3-5lb chicken
• 1 medium Spanish onion
• 1 small red bell pepper
• 1 small yellow bell pepper
• 1 small head of broccoli
• 4 cloves garlic
• 2 lb baby red potatoes
• ½ white wine
• 2-4 sprigs of fresh thyme
• salt, pepper, and paprika

Instructions

-As mentioned above, the very first thing you should do is fully submerge your clay baker in cold water.

-Start preparing your food items by washing all the produce. Cut the baby red potatoes in half. Peel and roughly chop the Spanish onion and garlic cloves. Remove the bell pepper cores and seeds, then slice the pepper into finger-width sticks. Remove the broccoli stem, and cut the remaining broccoli into little florets.

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Set the bell peppers and broccoli aside as they will be added later in the cooking process.

- Next wash the chicken and remove any neck or giblets that may be inside the body cavity. (Set these aside, or freeze them for later use in chicken stock.) Pat the chicken dry, and brush it with a splash of oil. Season the chicken with salt, pepper, and paprika.

-Remove the clay baker from the water, and place the roughly chopped garlic and Spanish onion, and white wine in the bottom of the pot. Place the halved baby red potatoes, and thyme sprigs around the outer edges. You can also place the neck and giblets here if you wish.

-Place the whole raw chicken on top of the chopped onion mixture. Season the veggies with salt, and pepper.

- Place the clay baker cover on top of the clay baker base, and place the entire dish in the COLD oven on the middle rack. (If your oven heats with elements from above, place the clay baker closer to the bottom of the oven.)

Set the oven to 425F and then set a timer for 90 minutes. It is important to place the filled clay baker in a cold oven to prevent sudden temperature shock and breaking of the clay dish.

-After 90 minutes, check on the chicken by opening the oven, and gently removing the clay lid with oven gloves. Place it on a dishtowel to prevent damaging the clay or your counter! Remember it is very hot!

Mix the reserved bell peppers and broccoli florets in a bowl and toss with a little oil. Carefully place the bell pepper slices and broccoli florets around the chicken, making sure it is evenly distributed. Return the clay baker to the oven without the lid, and roast for 10-15 minutes. This will help crisp the chicken skin, and lightly broil the peppers and broccoli.

Once the chicken skin has crisped up, carefully remove the hot clay bake from the oven, and place it on a heat resistant cloth or pot holder.

The chicken and accompanying vegetables are now ready to serve!

What About All That Liquid In The Bottom?

Once the chicken has been cooked, you'll notice a bunch of liquid that seems to have appeared out of nowhere in the bottom of the pot! This is a natural pan jus that seeps from the chicken and vegetables as it cooks.

It is absolutely jam-packed with flavor and makes a fantastic gravy! Just strain it out the liquid, and thicken it in a separate pot on the stove. You can find out how you could use various thickeners to make gravy with this liquid in this guide: How To Thicken Soups, Sauces, and More!

You can also use this liquid to make a wonderful chicken soup with any leftover chicken meat!

Clean Up

Once you've feasted on this delicious chicken, make sure you pack up any leftover in appropriate containers and refrigerate them.

The clay pot should then be scrubbed with a stiff bristle brush and hot water to remove any baked on bits. Stains, are ok, but you want to avoid using soap if possible to prevent the porous clay from absorbing it.

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Can You Make This Recipe Without A Clay Pot?

Don't have a clay pot at home, or ordered one but it hasn't arrived yet? You can in theory still make this recipe at home! Simply follow any other roast chicken recipe for times and temperatures, and sub in the veggies listed above. Of course the chicken won't be as tender and juicy though!

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