Roast Chicken with Cabbage

First of all a whole roast chicken is SO easy make. It’s my go to when I’m having people over who haven’t eaten my food, and I want them to think I am a high functioning adult person because it’s foolproof but it SEEMS like I tried really hard. This recipe was inspired by this tweet and OH MY GOD CHICKEN FAT CABBAGE. I thought about chicken fat cabbage for three straight weeks before I finally procured a chicken and mustered up the energy required to cook something that wasn’t soup. I sacrificed cabbage caramelization in the name of a moister chicken by roasting it in a dutch oven instead of on a sheet pan or skillet, and I feel justified in my decision. This recipe is adapted from this book by Dorie Greenspan, and in the past I made it religiously on a bed of baguette (chicken bread is also amazing) like the recipe in the book, but the South Texas German in me is going to demand chicken fat cabbage from here on out. Have I mentioned the cabbage is soaked in chicken fat? and chicken fat cabbage is incredible? And there are only 6 ingredients?

Roast Chicken with Cabbage

2 tbsp of olive oil 

1 whole chicken (any size is fine) insides removed 

1 1.5-2lb cabbage, cored and sliced into half inch thick slabs 

1 head of garlic, halved crosswise 

3 sprigs fresh oregano 

3 sprigs fresh thyme

3 sprigs fresh rosemary

Kosher Salt, pepper 

Preheat your oven to 450. Rub the inside of a dutch oven or roasting pan with olive oil (my chicken was an enormous 5.5 lbs, I forgot to rub olive oil on the lid, and the skin stuck to it as a result.. so plan accordingly). Pat the chicken dry (I use paper towels) and salt and pepper the inside and outside. Layer the cabbage on the bottom of your dutch oven/roasting pan. Put 1 sprig each of thyme, rosemary, oregano, and half the head of garlic inside the chicken and scatter the remaining herbs and half garlic head in with the cabbage. Place the chicken on the bed of cabbage, put the lid on and roast in the oven for 18 minutes per pound. Rest for 10 minutes before carving. Call everyone you know and rave about chicken fat cabbage.