Garlic Garlic Chicken with Garlic

GARLIC GARLIC CHICKEN WITH GARLIC

As you've probably guessed by now, this dish is about garlic! As it roasts, it absorbs the fat of the chicken and the acid in the garlic turns to sugar and becomes very mild and sweet. Don't let this scare you and don't try to cut back on the garlic! Serve this with some good, crusty bread and use the garlic as butter on the bread. You can thank me later!


4-5 pound whole chicken
8-10 whole BULBS fresh garlic--not cloves, BULBS! (about a pound)
Salt, pepper, and olive oil

Clean and trim the chicken. Clean and peel the garlic, leaving the cloves whole. Heat the oven to 350°.  Use your finger to gently separate the breasts from the skin of the chicken. between the breast and the leg on each side, poke a hole in the connecting tissue and loosen the skin on each leg, too. Stuff about half of the whole garlic cloves under the skin, into the legs and over the breasts. Push it in gently and make sure it covers the breasts as much as possible. Stuff the other half of the cloves into the cavity of the chicken. Any garlic that won't fit in the chicken or under the skin should be put in the pan to roast with the bird. Place in a roasting pan. Season with salt and pepper and anoint it with olive oil. I like to cut small potatoes and pile them around the chicken, too. Roast for 60-90 minutes until the juices run clear. Let it sit for 15 minutes before slicing.

(Until I figure out how to resolve an issue with the photos, this will be the new format for my blog. My apologies to those who just like the pictures!)