40 cloves and a chicken photo courtesy of The Taste of Oregon.
1 whole chicken
1/2 cup plus 2 tbsps of olive oil
5-10 sprigs of fresh thyme
40 peeled garlic cloves
Salt and pepper to taste
Cooking Directions:
This is a classic garlic dish (likely French in origin) and is simple to cook and pretty much exactly what the title suggests. Cut up the chicken into eight parts, season with salt and pepper, and preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
Add 2 tbsps of olive oil to a large skillet, Dutch oven, or frying pan and brown both sides of the chicken over high heat. Be sure to select a frying pan or skillet that you have a lid for as you’ll be covering and baking the chicken in the oven.
Remove the skillet from heat and add in the remaining 1/2 cup of olive oil and thyme. Place half of the cloves on the bottom of the dish, then the chicken, then place remaining cloves on top. Cover with lid and bake in the oven for about 1 1/2 hours.
Remove chicken and let it rest for about ten minutes. Carve, serve, and enjoy!
