Roast Chicken with Cabbage

Preheat oven to 450°F

To prepare the chicken for the oven, first pin the wing tips back over the shoulders and behind the bird.

Sometimes you'll find giblets in the cavity. Clear out the cavity, then tuck the ankles together. Reserve the giblets for a stock or gravy later on. Traditionally, you'd use a piece of twine to do hold the bird closed, but it's quicker to just poke a hole in the excess skin surrounding the cavity and then tuck the ankles into this hole.

To get the skin nice and crispy, you need to get it as dry as possible. Dab with paper towels and let the chicken sit for 20 minutes or so, exposed to the air.

Meanwhile, Slice the Cabbage in half, then slice it into chunks that are about 1" thick.

Arrange the chunks of cabbage to cover the surface of a heavy oven-safe skillet.

Add a little sprinkle of salt and pepper.

Place the prepared chicken on top of the cabbage.

Smear the butter over the skin of the chicken. If the butter is cold you may need to pop it in the microwave for 20-30 seconds to get it softened and spreadable. Coating the dried skin in fat will make the skin super crispy.

Season generously with salt and black pepper.

Place the whole skillet in the oven for 45 minutes, or until the chicken is done cooking. Chicken should be cooked to an internal temperature of 165°F with a crispy, golden skin. Check the temperature in several locations at the thickest depth of the thigh and breast. Keep in mind that if the thermometer touches the bone, the temperature may be inaccurate. If you're within a few degrees, you should be fine, as the chicken will continue cooking and coast up to a final temperature while it rests.

Set the chicken aside to rest. Make sure it rests on a platter or cutting board with some type of rim that will contain the juices that release as the chicken cools.

Flip over each slice of cabbage.

Put the cabbage back in the oven for another 10-15 minutes.