Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Have the measured homemade chicken meat stock and prepared smoky pineapple BBQ sauce portion ready. Heat the oven to 300°F. Remove any packet from the fully thawed chicken and choose a lidded oven-safe casserole that holds it comfortably.
- Put the whole chicken in the casserole and coat with the coconut oil. Sprinkle on the smoked paprika, thyme and half the measured salt. Add the garlic, apple-cider vinegar, measured chicken meat stock and remaining salt around the bird. Add filtered water as needed until liquid reaches about two-thirds of the casserole depth with the chicken in place. Cover.
- Cook covered in the low oven for 5-6 hours, until the meat pulls from the bones easily with a fork. The skin will be soft after the covered cook. Take the casserole out and keep the cooked chicken covered and warm.
- Raise the oven to 400°F. Wash the whole delicata squash and pierce the skins in a few places. Arrange on baking sheets with room for the pieces and roast for about 1 hour, until a fork enters soft flesh. Check larger pieces individually and allow additional time if needed.
- While squash roasts, lift the cooked chicken from the liquid when comfortable to handle. Remove bones and hard cartilage, keeping tender meat, soft skin and fat. Shred with two forks. Let excess liquid drain, then fold in the measured barbecue sauce. Keep moist and warm gently on the stovetop with a little reserved cooking liquid as needed.
- Cool the cooked squash enough to handle. Open each one lengthwise and scoop out the seeds, supporting the soft shell from underneath and leaving the flesh in its skin. Divide the barbecue chicken between the cavities and serve warm. This recipe makes twelve filled squashes; divide them into smaller portions if desired.
Notes
Make Ahead: The meat stock and barbecue sauce are separate linked preparations. Have both ready before starting this meal. The base batch uses half of the finished twelve-ounce-tomato-paste sauce batch, divided equally rather than guessed by cup volume.
Chicken Method: Covered low-oven preparation at 300°F for 5-6 hours, following the whole-bird casserole method in the 2020 GAPS book. A fork should pull the cooked meat easily from its bones.
Liquid: Use the measured prepared chicken meat stock, then add filtered water as needed to reach about two-thirds of the casserole depth. This level depends on pot and bird size; it is not a fixed extra water amount.
Squash: Twelve small delicata, about ten pounds for the base batch. Pierce and roast whole at 400°F for about an hour, then open and remove seeds before filling.
One Oven: Cook the chicken first, then raise the temperature for squash. Shred and sauce the chicken while squash roasts; keep it moist and warm gently on the stovetop if needed.
Timing: Thirty minutes preparation is a planning estimate with stock and sauce ready. Cooking takes about 6-7 hours sequentially; the card uses the longer allowance of seven hours for a planned 7½-hour total. Extra batches and larger pieces can need more time.
Yield: Twelve filled squashes, divided into twelve generous portions or up to twenty smaller portions. The servings control counts filled vegetables.
Full GAPS: After winter squash, pineapple, tomato, mustard and seasonings have been introduced. Contains mustard and coconut through the sauce. No dairy or egg ingredients; not No-Plant or a ketogenic meal.
Storage: Divide leftovers into shallow containers and refrigerate promptly, covered. Freeze cooled portions for later meals. Warm chicken gently with cooking liquid as needed and warm the cooked squash before filling.
Doubling: Two chickens and twenty-four squashes, with all numeric ingredients doubled. Use enough casserole and oven space, including separate pots or batches as needed. The two-thirds liquid level remains a pot-depth guide.