Cabbage, bacon, and potatoes. You’re sold, right?
March could arguably be deemed the most confusing month in the Gregorian calendar. Is it winter or spring? Lion or lamb? Should we don a t-shirt—or keep pulling on our Bean boots?Sure, the markets aren't yet bursting with color and freshness. And yes, we're all tired of apples and root vegetables. But we're also in that wonderful middle-space, where we can still turn on the oven but start using lighter, spring-ish flavors.
So when I approached the stove to create this recipe, I reached for Savoy cabbage, both as a sendoff to winter and a nod to the upcoming fest of St. Patty. I thought of deliciously tender, sweetcabbage, a delectable South Louisianan dish that is usually made as a braise. This chicken was to be roasted, though, and I was aiming for a one-pan dish. So I sliced the crinkly cabbage leaves into manageable pieces, piled them into a roasting pan, and placed my bird on top as a "braising" lid.
Under the chicken skin, I tucked butter. But first I mixed that butter with vibrant fresh chives, bright lemon zest, a touch of garlic and parsley. Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Rhoda Boone My cabbage wasn't alone in the pan; I gave it some company in the form of bacon, potatoes and caraway seeds. The bacon—working in tandem with my buttery "chicken lid"—replaced the ham hock you might use in a traditional Louisianan smother and offered up fabulously smoky, meaty notes, not to mention just enough fat to caramelize the cabbage and keep it from burning. Caraway leant its peppery, earthy, citrusy notes, and helped my bird maintain its Irish accent.
To finish the dish, I opted for a touch more parsley. I left the leaves whole, finding the occasional bite of bitter plays well with the rich meat and bacon, and subtle tang of fresh lemon. That said, if you'd rather chop up the herb, go right ahead. As long as you've got a bit of green in there, you're keeping the spring spirit alive.
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