I adapted a recipe that came with the Römertopf. I think the recipe called for chicken legs, but I wanted to try a whole chicken. I layered thin lemon slices on the bottom.
I added a layer of thinly sliced potatoes.
I added a layer of thinly sliced onions.
I added fresh tarragon, a small roasting chicken, and additional lemon slices.
I placed the lid on the Römertopf, and put it in the cold oven. I first brought the oven to 225 degrees F. and let it stabilize for 10 minutes before raising the heat to 425 degrees F.
After the oven reached 425 degrees F, I roasted the chicken for one hour. I then removed the lid and roasted it for another 20-30 minutes until the chicken was cooked through and browned.
Notes: The roasted chicken was tasty and the presentation was beautiful, but there were a few drawbacks to this recipe. While the layer of lemon looked very nice, the lemon flavor in the potatoes was overwhelming, especially because some of the lemon rind was burned. The potatoes were somewhat overcooked by the time the chicken was done.
In addition, all the chicken fat that I would usually drain off before making a pan sauce had been soaked up by the potatoes. I think if you are going to consume all that fat, you should have some lovely crisp potatoes, and not soggy, lemony potatoes. All the layers made the chicken stand a little too tall, so the skin on both legs touched the lid and ripped away when I lifted the lid. You also can't make a pan sauce in the Römertopf since it is not flame-proof.
So, overall, not a great start for the Römertopf. I can't see making another roast chicken in the Römertopf, but I am looking for some more recipes that might be better-suited to cooking in a clay baker.
3 comments:
Ah well...it is good to try out these different kitchen toys. Not all of them work the way they should...I am sorry it didn't work up to your expectations. But thanks for the review!
Try it again, but leave out the vegetables. You're right - it was way too much lemon.
I do a Römertopf chicken this way:
Place a very few chunks of onion and carrot in the bottom of the pot.
Salt the inside of the chicken and put a few branches of rosemary inside.
A little white wine in the bottom, maybe a half cup. Maybe a little melted butter brushed on the chicken breast.
Cook anywhere from 90 minutes up, depending on the size of the bird.
I love chicken from the Römertopf - it's my favorite way. But I don't use lemon at all.
I like to put a cut-up lemon in the cavity of the chicken; it brightens the flavor. I also salt and pepper the cavity, and coat the chicken in olive oil. Put the chicken into the romertopf first, then scatter the veggies. I use whole small new potatoes, large chunks of onion and carrot, and whole mushrooms. Pour a half cup of white wine in, and scatter a T. or more fresh rosemary. Salt the veggies if you wish.
Put in the oven at 450 (F) for 80-90 minutes, depending on the size of the chicken.
Post a Comment