One Pan Roast Chicken with Bacon and Cabbage

Presenter / Channel

Rick, Backyard Chef

---

Ingredients (with quantities if mentioned)

From the subtitles, exact amounts aren’t given, but the following are used:

• Chicken thighs, bone-in, skin-on (number not specified)
• Cabbage, chopped into big ribbons
• Bacon: “a little bit”
  • using bacon offcuts (or substitute: regular bacon, cubed)
• Onions: “a couple”
• Garlic (use or omit)
• Apples: 1 apple, cored and cut into wedges
• Stock: chicken stock from a stock cube
• Apple cider vinegar: “a little bit”
• Dried thyme
• Whole grain mustard
• Melted butter: “a little bit” (and optional oil)
• Chicken seasoning: chicken salt (substitution: normal salt)
• Black pepper
• Paprika: smoked paprika (substitution: sweet paprika)
• Potato starch: light dusting for crisping (substitutions mentioned: corn flour / corn starch / ordinary flour)

---

Equipment & Prep

• Oven preheated to 220°C
• Large roasting tray (he wishes for a bigger one—cabbage will shrink)
• Knife/board for chopping cabbage and onions; cutting apple
• Optional bowl mentioned, but he advises: throw everything straight into the tray

---

Method (step-by-step)

1) Prep the cabbage layer (before the chicken)

1. Chop cabbage into big ribbons.
2. Remove any “wiggly wigglies” found inside.
3. Add cabbage to the roasting tray.
4. Optional: add some stock.

2) Add aromatics + apple + bacon + flavor liquid

1. Slice onions and add to the tray.
2. Add garlic (optional).
3. Cut 1 apple into wedges (avoid the core) and add chunks/wedges to the tray.
4. Add bacon (offcuts; if not available, cube normal bacon).
5. Prepare the tray’s seasoning elements:
   • Chicken stock (from stock cube)
   • a little apple cider vinegar
   • dried thyme
   • whole grain mustard
   • a little melted butter (and optional oil)

3) First roast

1. Roast for 15–20 minutes.
2. He leans toward 20 minutes because there’s “quite a lot” in the tray.
3. Purpose note: starting with cabbage helps prevent cabbage moisture from affecting the later chicken crisping.

4) Season and prep the chicken thighs

1. Season chicken (skin side) with:
   • chicken salt (or normal salt)
   • pepper
   • smoked paprika (or sweet paprika if needed)
2. Technique cue: don’t over-salt (“don’t go much”)—salting draws moisture out through the skin.
3. Optional crisping step: lightly dust skin with potato starch (or corn flour/corn starch/ordinary flour).
   • Emphasis: very light dusting—like “snowflake/snowstorm,” not a heavy coating.

5) Combine + second roast

1. Take tray out briefly.
2. If possible, turn/swap the veg around.
3. Place chicken thighs on top, skin side up.
4. Roast again for about 35–40 minutes (he says “about 40 minutes” at the end).
5. Target result: crispy, golden skin with juices flavoring the cabbage/bacon/apple.

6) Serve

• Serve the tray as-is.
• He suggests serving with mashed potatoes, jacket potatoes, or rice.
• He encourages using the juice/gravy—you can turn the juice into gravy.

---

Chef Tips & Common Mistakes

• Start cabbage first Prevents cabbage moisture ruining the chicken skin crispness later.

• Check cabbage for “wiggly wigglies” and remove them.

• Use starch lightly only Too much can cause unwanted white residue (“white all over it looking like the Alps”). If white appears, he calls it “camouflage” and says you can do a little basting to improve appearance.

• Don’t over-salt the thighs.

• Browning is fine Caramelization on cabbage is welcome (“if you’ve got some burnt cabbage… yippee”).

---

Plating / Serving Suggestions

• Scoop and serve chicken with the cabbage/apple/bacon juices.

• Serve alongside mashed potatoes, jacket potatoes, or rice. The juice is meant to go with the starch (especially rice).

• Garnish: a little parsley mentioned.

• Optional visual upgrade: little basting for a more “posh” look.

---

Outcome (as described)

• Chicken skin becomes “ridiculously crispy”.
• Chicken is falling off the bone.
• Flavor profile: bacon + chicken fat, with whole grain mustard and apple dissolved into the mixture.

---

Referenced Sources

• No external sources or recipes are cited in the subtitles.