Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic

I think the name says it all…

INGREDIENTS:
One 3 – 1/2 pound chicken
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 bouquet garni (1 bay leaf, 1 sprig each fresh thyme, parsley, rosemary, tied into a bundle with string
1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
40 unpeeled garlic cloves (about 4 small heads)
2 Tablespoons Pernod

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Rub chicken inside and out with salt and pepper. Place bouquet garni in the cavity, tuck the wings under the back, and tie legs with string.

Place chicken in an oven-proof casserole. Combine oil, garlic cloves and salt and pepper to taste in a small bowl. Then pour over chicken and around chicken. Sprinkle chicken with Pernod, cover, and roast for 1 hour. Remove cover, increase heat to 400 degrees F, and continue roasting until brown, about 20 minutes. Test for doneness by piercing with a fork: the juices should run clear.

Remove from oven and allow to rest for 15 minutes before carving. Carve chicken and arrange on a serving platter surrounded with cooked garlic cloves. To eat garlic, squeeze interior out of peel with flat side of a knife and spread on chicken or on toasted French bread.

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