BBQ chicken in bacon tart from Fiefhusen

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 750 g chicken fillet(s)
• 6 garlic cloves, fresh
• 1 m.-sized onion(s)
• 1 tbsp, heaped sea salt
• 1 tsp, leveled chili flakes, red, or chili powder
• 1 tsp, heaped black pepper, ground
• 1 tsp, leveled cumin powder
• 1 tsp, leveled cayenne pepper
• 1 tbsp, leveled paprika powder, smoked
• 4 packs of breakfast bacon, 25 – 30 slices, better buy a few more as a reserve
• 300 ml BBQ sauce according to personal taste
• 300 g grated cheese, e.g. a mix of cheddar and mozzarella
• 1 pepper(s), red, ripe
• 2 m.-large onion(s), red

Instructions

Working time approx. 40 minutes; Rest time approx. 30 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 1 hour 30 minutes; Total time approx. 2 hours 40 minutes

For a round casserole dish of approximately 20 cm; the dream for lovers of bacon and spicy chicken from the oven

In a small bowl, thoroughly mix together the salt, chili flakes or powder, pepper, cumin, cayenne pepper, and smoked paprika. Chop the onion and garlic as finely as possible. Slice the bell pepper and red onions into strips. Cut the chicken fillet into pieces about the size of the nuggets you’d find in fast-food restaurants, maybe a little larger. In a sufficiently large bowl, thoroughly knead the chicken pieces with the seasoning by hand. Then add the white onions and garlic and mix well again. Set the bowl aside and let the meat marinate for half an hour. Now line the baking dish with bacon, making sure it’s evenly spaced. Depending on the width of the strips, you may need more. That’s why I always buy at least two packs more than the absolute minimum, but that’s just a tip. The excess bacon can then be used promptly for scrambled eggs, for example. I’ve found that a stoneware casserole dish with a diameter of 20 cm and a height of about 12 cm works best. This will probably work in a square dish, too, although you’ll have to adjust the lining accordingly. I’m sticking with the round dish here. Starting at the imaginary center of the dish, lay the bacon strips outwards so that one end hangs over the edge of the dish. Overlap them a little more in the middle of the dish to create a continuous layer of bacon along the edge. Evenly spread one-third of the marinated chicken pieces over the bacon base and press down lightly. Spread about one-quarter of the BBQ sauce over it. The next layer is half of the grated cheese, which is sprinkled evenly over the top. Press everything down lightly. Arrange the second third of the chicken pieces on top and cover them with the next quarter of the BBQ sauce. The next layer consists of the red bell pepper strips. Press everything down lightly again. Then spread half of the red onion strips over the bacon, followed by the last third of the chicken pieces. Pour another quarter of the BBQ sauce over the top. The next layer consists of the second half of the cheese, followed by the remaining onions. Now compact everything once more, essentially pushing out any remaining air pockets. Fold the overhanging bacon ends back toward the center of the dish. If there’s still bacon missing in the center, add more slices until the surface is completely covered. Let everything rest until the oven has heated to 180 degrees Celsius (350 degrees Fahrenheit). Cover the top of our “pie” with aluminum foil and bake the dish on the middle rack for one hour. Then remove it from the oven and carefully pour off any excess fat and meat juices. It’s best to collect them, as they make a wonderful sauce for other dishes. Return them to the oven for another 15 minutes without the foil, then remove them and drain off any more liquid if necessary. Place a sufficiently large plate on top of the dish and turn the bacon pie out onto it. This will expose the underside. Brush this evenly with the remaining BBQ sauce using a pastry brush. Switch the oven from fan to grill and grill the cake for about 5 minutes. This will caramelize the sugar in the BBQ sauce, giving our masterpiece a polished finish. Just keep an eye on it and be careful not to burn anything. Remove from the oven and let it rest for a few minutes. Slice and enjoy. Serve with grilled vegetables, fresh flatbread, corn on the cob, ciabatta, mashed sweet potatoes, or whatever your favorite BBQ side dish is.