Garlic has been shown to fight infections and help with cardiovascular health—and this dish uses 40 cloves! To save time, you can use chicken parts or skinless chicken breasts and pre-peeled garlic cloves. Leftovers can be added to soups or made into delicious burritos, fajitas or sandwiches.
step 1Place baking rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F.
step 2Sprinkle the chicken inside and out with the salt and pepper. Tie legs together with kitchen twine and fold the wings under the chicken.
step 3Place the oil in a heavy, wide 6- to 8-quart ovenproof pot or Dutch oven on the stove. Heat over moderately high heat until oil is hot but not smoking. Brown the chicken, turning carefully with two spatulas or a pair of large tongs until chicken is golden brown, about 10 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate.
step 4Lower heat to medium. Add thyme, rosemary and garlic cloves to the pot. Cook until garlic begins to brown, about 2 minutes. Remove pot from the heat.
step 5Put the chicken, breast side up, on top of the garlic cloves, cover the pot tightly, and transfer to the oven. Every 20 minutes, baste the chicken with the pan juices. Roast until cooked through, about 60 minutes. A meat thermometer inserted 2 inches into the fleshy part of a thigh (avoid the bone) should read 170 degrees F.
step 6To crisp the chicken skin, uncover and place under the broiler for 3-5 minutes, or until chicken skin is browned. If you have only a small "shelf" broiler below the oven, turn the oven up to 500 degrees F instead of broiling and continue cooking for about 5 minutes more until chicken skin is browned.
step 7Transfer the chicken to a cutting board, saving the pan juices, and let stand for 10 minutes. Cut the chicken into pieces, place on a platter or individual plates and drizzle with as much of the saved pan juices as you want. Serve the roasted garlic with warm or lightly toasted bread.
chef's notes
If the oil is not hot enough when you brown the chicken, the skin might stick to the pot. But don't worry: the chicken will still taste fantastic!
If you are using chicken breasts or other chicken parts, parts or breasts, salt and pepper as instructed in step 2.
If you are using bone-in chicken parts, check for doneness after 45 minutes in the oven. If you're using boneless, skinless chicken breasts, check for doneness at 30 minutes.