Smoky Apple Cider Chicken Clay Pot

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My VitaClay gets every-day use around my house. If I'm not making a batch of bone broth, I'm cooking up a pot of rice to use with meals all week long, heating up some soup or steaming some veggies.

I love to find new recipes and convert them for use with my VitaClay, because I find that every time I cook anything in that clay pot, it comes out better than I could imagine (and certainly better than it ever has in any other type of cookware). I like VitaClay better than other slow cookers, because it uses some pressure, which means it cooks 2-4 times faster than the other ones. And the results are amazing! Maybe because of the shorter cooking time, maybe the pressure, maybe the clay.... but everything just tastes so much better when I make it in VitaClay!

I think it must have a lot to do with the clay, because I've looked into it, and clay has sort of a cult following. There are clay vessels to make bread, herbs, stews, and baked goods. And people rave about the quality of the food coming out of each one. I'm just happy that everything is so convenient to make in clay with the VitaClay. Try this unique, tangy, smoky chicken recipe in clay. I promise you won't regret it.

Ingredients:

• About 5 lb bone-in chicken meat (I like to use a mix of white and dark meats)
• 8 oz high quality smoked bacon, sliced
• 2 c broth (make your own in VitaClay! Recipe below!)
• 1 lb small potatoes, diced
• 2 apples, sliced
• 2 red onions, chopped
• 4 carrots, peeled and chopped
• 2 T fresh thyme, chopped
• 2-3 bay leaves
• salt & pepper to taste
• 3 T flour or other thickener (like arrowroot or cornstarch)
• 2 c apple cider (unfiltered)
• ¼ c apple cider vinegar
• 1/3 c grade B maple syrup
• A few shakes of turmeric powder (because I add it to everything)

1. Brown the bacon bits in a cast-iron skillet until they reach the desired level of crispiness
2. Use the bacon grease to brown the chicken pieces with salt & pepper, then remove.
3. Add the veggies to the oil in the pan and cook, covered for about 5 minutes
4. Add the flour and stir until it's incorporated
5. Add everything to the VitaClay pot and cook on “stew” setting for about 1 hour
6. Serve, refrigerate or freeze for later meals

Here's the recipe for bone broth promised above:

https://vitaclaychef.com/blogs/recipes/how-do-i-make-bone-broth-and-what-do-i-do-with-it