When I first saw this roasted chicken with Bacon recipe, I thought it was a gimmick. Bacon gets added to everything from doughnuts and chocolate to Brussels sprouts these days. Not that I’m complaining.
But after laughing the recipe off as another fad follower, I found myself thinking about it for days. And then weeks. Finally, I grudgingly gave it a try.
“This probably won’t be very good,” I warned my family. “We’ll keep pizza delivery on standby in case it comes out a gross, greasy mess.”
Before I stuck the chicken and Bacon in the oven, I emailed the author of the recipe to make sure I was reading it right. Did she really suggest putting Bacon-draped chicken in a 500 degree oven? Was that a typo?
She assured me that the Dutch oven would protect the bird during the roasting process, and added “If you don't mind it taking a little longer to cook, you can try it at 375 F in a normal roasting pan.”
I stuck with her original instructions, but added some potato slices under the chicken, figuring they might crisp up and cook in the bacon fat. And boy did they ever. I ended up with potato slices that were browned and crispy on the edges and soft and flavorful in the middle. So good.
The chicken, too, was moist and flavorful. So moist that it was falling off the bone, and the Bacon flavor was subtly infused into the meat. It worked great for dinner that night, and then, with some crusty bread and the leftover Bacon and garlic, made amazing sandwiches for lunch the next day.
Click here for the full recipe: http://www.mlive.com/cooking/2014/05/roasted_chicken_with_garlic_an.html
