Römertopf Chicken – Baked in Clay Pot

Have you ever used a so called Römertopf or Schlemmertopf? It’s a clay pot that is used in the oven, like a Dutch oven, and you can make delicious meals like the Römertopf Chicken.

Using a clay pot for cooking is very healthy because all nutrients will stay in the food. You don’t have to use any grease or fat, so it’s a perfect alternative for a pan fried dish. Every ingredient will be placed into the pot and cooked in the oven. The meat turned out to be very tender and to be honest, it was the best chicken that I ever served. To get a Römertopf is quite worth it. Happy Cooking!

Ingredients Römertopf Chicken

1 chicken, about 2kg
2 smaller carrots
1 of each: leek, apple, medium size onion
salt, pepper, mild paprika – mixed
250ml white wine
Clay pot size in inches:  L 13 x H 10 x W 8 – I used this pot size for the recipe

Cooking Instructions

– Wash the chicken inside and outside, pat dry with kitchen paper.
– Soak the clay pot in water for 10 min. If your pot is glazed you don’t have to. If only the lid is glazed, soak the lid only.
– Peel apple, onion and cut into coarse pieces. Cut carrot the same way.
– Mix veggies in a bowl.
– Mix the salt with spices and apply to the chicken inside and outside.
– Fill the chicken with some veggies.
– Place chicken into the pot and place remaining veggies around it.
– Fill up with the white wine.
– Close with the lid and place in the COLD oven. This is important. If the oven is warm or hot you risk that the clay pot will break.
– Bake on 390 F 75-90 min or longer depending on th chicken size. When you see that it’s bubbling under the skin, it’s done.
– 20-30 min before the cooking time ends remove the lid and continue baking so the chicken gets a nice crust.
– When the chicken is done let sit for some minutes, remove from the pot and serve.

GRAVY
Drain the veggies and make a gravy out of the stock.
Keep the stock in a small pan, add 1 tbsp corn starch and bring to a boil. Spice with salt and pepper to taste and add 1 splash of heavy cream.