This week’s Sunday Supper is all about family and traditions, especially foodie traditions that have been handed down through generations.
For my family, we don’t have any Christmas foodie traditions. My parents grew up in rural China, where Christmas wasn’t celebrated. What I totally appreciate is the fact that my parents, who came to Canada at the age of 30 without any money, no English language skills, low income jobs and three young daughters (soon to be four) still bought our family a Christmas tree within their first few years of immigrating. The lil sis ‘n I still put that tree up every single year. It just wouldn’t be Christmas without it. All the decorations are the ones that we had as children, many of them made by the two of us in elementary school. The plastic angel on top has seen better days. What little tinsel is left from the original package is all crinkly, some of it burnt by the old school lights. The whole thing looks tacky as hell but I love it. It makes me feel like a kid again every single year.
There’s no Christmas make-out music for you this week. Instead I’m sharing my favourite scene from It’s A Wonderful Life:
The ending from one of my most beloved Christmas movies, White Christmas:
And this hilariously awkward rendition by Justin Bieber of the Christmas hit, All I Want for Christmas Is You. There’s something really disturbing about watching Mariah writhe around in lingerie with a teenaged boy:
Even if you can’t stomach watching this whole video clip, skip to 3:23 where they’re in the sleigh together. It’s worth it – trust.
The dish I made for this week isn’t one that’s traditional in my life but it’s one that I’ve added to my kitchen rotation. I love chicken – if I had to choose only one meat to eat for the rest of my life, that would be it.
My Adaptation of Dorie’s Chicken in a Pot for original recipe, see here
This isn’t a strictly follow by the numbers recipes. It’s totally adaptable – you can throw in whatever you want!
5 cloves of garlic, peeled, slightly smashed
1 large onion, diced
bacon – I used 4 strips and diced it
4 carrots, cut into four pieces each
5 celery stalks, roughly cut
salt and pepper
4 sprigs fresh thyme
4 sprigs fresh rosemary
4 sprigs flat-leaf parsley
1 chicken, which I left whole but you can cut it up
mushrooms (however many you can fit in your pot)
1 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup white wine (or another 1/2 cup of chicken broth)
For the seal:
about 1 1/2 cups of flour
about 3/4 cup hot water
Preheat your oven to 450 degrees F.
Generously salt and pepper the chicken.
Using a large dutch oven, set it on your stove at high heat and add about 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Add the chicken and brown it on all sides. Remove the chicken and set it aside.
In the same dutch oven or oven-proof pot, fry the bacon until it’s almost cooked. I didn’t bother straining out the fat but you can at this stage. Add the onions and garlic. Cook until the onions are tender. Add in the rest of the vegetables and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until the vegetables are lightly browned. Place the chicken back into the pot on top of the vegetables. Add the herbs. Pour in the chicken broth and wine.

In case you’re wondering, that weird alien-like thing is the chicken neck. Yum yum!
At this point, you can either cover the pot with aluminum foil and the lid but I recommend taking the fun route by making a sticky paste out of flour and water to seal. To make the paste, stir the flour and water together, mixing until you have a soft, workable dough. My dough was super sticky – I probably should’ve added more flour to it so that it’d be more like a dough but c’est la vie. The original recipe calls for shaping the dough into a long sausage like log so that you can prettily and easily press it against the rim and then place the lid on top to form a seal.
Not-so-brilliant me simply slathered my flour paste against the side of the pot. It looks disgusting but did the trick.
Slide the pot into the oven and bake for 70 minutes. If your chicken is huge and you think it should cook longer, turn the heat down to 325 and leave it in for another 15-30 minutes.
Remove the pot from the oven and be uber careful removing the lid. Dorie recommends wiggling a screwdriver between the dough and the pot. I simply cracked mine open with my meat mallet.
Voila! The chicken was super moist and so flavourful from the vegetables and herbs. We ate it over several days with good, crusty bread for dipping into the broth. This was incredibly easy to make and tasted like pure comfort.
I wish all of you the merriest of Christmases and the happiest of holidays. Spend it with your loved ones, eat, drink, and appreciate every moment you have together.
Our host is the wonderful Beate of Galactopdx. Check out her tantalizing dish and every delicious morsel from the rest of the Sunday Supper family:
Breakfast
- Eggs Benedict by Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
- Holiday Cream Cheese Tea Ring by That Skinny Chick can Bake
- Orange Refrigerator Rolls by The Wimpy Vegetarian
- Cinnamon Streusel Coffee Cake by Small Wallet Big Appetite
Appetizers & Snacks
- Chicken Liver Pate by Tora’s Real Food
- Bindaetteok {Mung Bean Pancakes} by Kimchi Mom
- Crab and Asparagus Soup by The Urban Mrs.
Sides
- Potato Salad {Schwaebischer Kartoffelsalat} by Galactopdx
- Italian Orange Salad by Shockingly Delicious
- Sweet Potato Casserole by Magnolia Days
- Carrots au gratin by Juanitas Cocina
Main Dishes
- Char Siu Bao – Chinese Roast Pork Buns by The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen
- Savory Crepe Cake by Vintage Kitchen
- West Indian Curried Goat by The ROXX Box
- Pot Cheese and Potato Cheese Pierogies by Cupcakes and Kale Chips
- Seafood Gumbo and Grilled Oysters: A Louisiana Christmas Tradition by the Catholic Foodie
- Mom’s Paella by What Smells So Good?
- Portuguese inspired Chorizo Crown Pork Roast by Family Foodie
- Dorie’s Chicken in a Pot by Gotta Get Baked
- New Year’s Eve Buckwheat Noodles with Mochi by The Ninja Baker
- Mile High Lasagna by Cravings of a Lunatic
- Crab Cakes for Christmas Eve by Daddy Knows Less
Desserts
- Pizzelles {Italian Wafer Cookies} by Chocolate Moosey
- Fudge by Dinner Dishes and Desserts
- Crescent Cookies by Cookistry
- Christmas Stollen by Hezzi D’s Books and Cooks
- Pfeffernussen by The Foodie Army Wife
- Creme De Menthe Cake by I Run for Wine
- Panettone Bread Pudding by the Country Girl in the Village
- Spiced Gingerbread Gooey Butter Cake | A twist on a St. Louis Favorite by Daily Dish Recipes
- Chocolate Gingerbread Cake with Eggnog Cream Cheese Frosting by Crispy Bits and Burnt Ends
- Jamaican Christmas Pudding by Lovely Pantry
- White Chocolate Cranberry Santa Cookies by Mooshu Jenne
- Christmas Tree Cookies by Damn Delicious
- Old Fashioned Lady Fingers {Creamhorns} by The Meltaways
- Rose Milk Almond Falooda {Indian Dessert Drink} by Sue’s Nutrition Buzz
Drinks
- Wine Pairings by ENOFYLZ Wine Blog
- Cinnamon Infused Hot Chocolate with Southern Comfort Whipped Cream by Mama Mommy Mom
The posts are more than recipes. They are also wonderful stories of holidays and traditions. Please take the time to visit and read each heartwarming one.
Join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter each Sunday. We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET and you do not want to miss out on the fun. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. Check our our #SundaySupper Pinterest board for more fabulous recipes and food photos.
Pingback: Crown Pork Roast Recipe
I think we haven´t made that recipe with the Dorie group yet. The broth should be amazing! Can´t wait to try it.
You´re right about that last clip, it is disturbing, like a modern version of the graduate. Whoever edited that? LOL!
Have the best holidays Nancy, it´s so great to have met you!
What a fun recipe! I can’t wait to try this one. Merry Christmas to you and your family! Thank you for being such a big part of #SundaySupper. It has been such a pleasure getting to know you.
Pingback: Spiced Gingerbread Gooey Butter Cake | A twist on a favorite #SundaySupper | The Daily Dish Recipes
Pingback: Italian Orange Salad for Christmas Eve
Pingback: Bindaetteok (mung bean pancakes) #SundaySupper
Pingback: Carrots Au Gratin ~ #SundaySupper Home For The Holidays! | Juanita's Cocina
Pingback: Sunday Supper
OH my gosh, SOOOOO fun! I think you have a new tradition…cracking the meat mallot against the pot! Merry Christmas!
Pingback: Char Siu Bao {Roast Pork Buns} #SundaySupper - The Girl in the Little Red KitchenThe Girl in the Little Red Kitchen
Pingback: Cinnamon Infused Hot Chocolate w/ Southern Comfort Whipped Cream #SundaySupper | Mama.Mommy.Mom.
Pingback: Orange Refrigerator Rolls | The Wimpy Vegetarian
This cookbook is on my wishlist! This chicken dish looks amazing!
Okay, so, wasn’t the Biebs under 18 when he made this video? Regardless, it’s a little disturbing and thank you for putting this image in my head – your “national treasure” being sullied by Ms. Mimi. Get that woman a coat or something!
btw….MERRY CHRISTMAS!!
Pingback: Eggs Benedict #SundaySupper - Cindy's Recipes and WritingsCindy's Recipes and Writings
Oooh, I love this recipe!!! And I love hearing how your family acclimated to the states by making your own holiday traditions!!! Merry Christmas!
This chicken sounds wonderful! And the chicken neck! I love chicken necks; I always have. To me it’s the special treat that I nibble on first when the roast chicken comes out of the oven. So good. I am so glad to see that someone else likes it too!
Pingback: Chocolate Gingerbread cake with eggnog frosting Home for the Holidays #SundaySupper | Crispy Bits & Burnt Ends
Pingback: Old Fashioned Lady Fingers (Creamhorns) for #SundaySupper | The Meltaways
definitely giving this to Mom – she loves EVERYTHING Julia!
This sounds fanatic!!! I like the fun of adding the flour paste 🙂
Merry Christmas to you and yours ~ Bea @ galactopdx
Pingback: Pfeffernussen | A Home for the Holidays #SundaySupper Event | The Foodie Army Wife
I’ve never understood the Justin-Mariah thing either but that video always makes me laugh! Love your description of your Christmas tree .. some of my favourite ornaments are the ugliest ones that I remember from my childhood, and I have to sneak them onto the tree each year 🙂 Hope you have a wonderful holiday!
This looks amazing! I love your solution to making a good seal and then breaking it. Perfect! And I’ll bet that chicken was so moist. What fun.
Pingback: Pot Cheese & Potato Cheese Pierogies — Cupcakes & Kale Chips
Oh I’ve made this recipe plenty of times (except I use chicken quarters because I cant eat a whole chicken alone). Yours looks wonderful! Merry Christmas, Nancy!
Nancy,
LOVE this!! This was one of the first recipes from Dorie that I wanted to try and I still have not tried it! Now, I have to. . looks fabulous!
Also, love the videos that you add to your posts.. and love that a few people here commented on the Mariah/Justin one 😛 you are so right… and I watched every single minute of that video!! 😛
I love that you guys still put up the same tree you guys had while growing up. . we did the same thing. . so I was disappointed to find out my dad finally threw the tree away a couple years ago! 😦
Pingback: Home for the Holidays - Webicurean | Webicurean
Oh my goodness that looks like it would melt in your mouth. I love the way you make sure to get a good seal.
The old Christmas ornaments and decorations are simply the best no matter how old and crinkly they get. The memories associated with them cannot be substituted with any new bright, shiny, or perfect one.
Now about your recipe, you have me so intrigued with the dough seal on the pot. What an awesome way to seal in all the moisture and I bet it makes the chicken the best ever.
Awesome recipe! It’s a Wonderful Life is my absolute favorite Christmas movie. It makes me cry every time I see it. I hope you and your family had a wonderful Christmas!
Mmmm, nothing like a good roast chicken!
What a beautiful dish Nancy!! I used to roast chicken like this all the time for the holidays. They are always so beautiful and smell fantastic. I hope you had an amazing Christmas!!
This is awesome! I love Dorie’s creation – everything she makes is so lovely. Your parents are awesome and I agree…no christmas is perfect without a tree.
Awww your parents sound so wonderful!!! Also-ewww mariah and bieber lol.
This chicken looks DELICIOUS!
What?! What do you mean soon to be 4???? You and I have lived parallel lives. We don’t have Christmas traditions either I am now the proud owner of my parents Christmas tree. I didn’t put it up this year so my mom was kind of upset with me. I hope you had a wonderful Christmas with your family! This dish is a show stopper. You so fancy girl! Happy New Year. Now we both know that New Year’s is a HUGE deal! 😉
Hahaha that bread seal is amazing!!! And cracking it open with a meat mallet sounds super fun. I don’t know what this says about me, but I actually thought it looked delicious when I saw that first photo…I thought it was some kind of yummy pastry that you’d somehow eat with the chicken, I think. Lol and thanks for that Bieber video! So, so awk. Anyway, hope you had a great Christmas!
What an interesting technique for cooking this dish. I’d love to give it a try!
I’ve been wanting to try this method for a while. It’s pretty cool!
I’m so intreagued by how you made this chicken!!! So impressive! Love it! The meat mallet certainly had its usefulness didn’t it! The addition of the chicken neck – so much additional flavour, as well as the bacon. Totally delish.
Pingback: Panettone Bread Pudding | Country Girl in the Village
Pingback: Sunday Supper Recipes
Pingback: Dorie’s Chicken in a Pot for #SundaySupper’s First BirthdayHip Foodie Mom | Hip Foodie Mom
Pingback: Caramel Apple Bread | It’s Your Birthday #SundaySupper! | The Foodie Army Wife
Pingback: Lightened Up Slow Cooker Indian Butter Chicken from The Meltaways for #SundaySupper — Cupcakes & Kale Chips
Pingback: Pepperoni and Mozzarella Pull Apart by Noshing With The Nolands inspired by In the Kitchen with KP #SundaySupper | Noshing With The Nolands
Pingback: Spicy Pulled Pork Sandwiches
Pingback: Goat Cheese Rigatoni Alfredo Recipe for #SundaySupper
Pingback: Apple Pull Apart Bread with Caramel Drizzle & Happy Birthday #SundaySupper | Cravings of a Lunatic
Pingback: Feijoada Portuguese Bean Stew #SundaySupper