Chicken with 40 Garlic Cloves

My menu planner is off to an extraordinary start with Chicken w. 40 Garlic Cloves  [courtesy of http://www.taste.com.au/].   Hubby and the kids were very impressed and the leftovers were a delight for lunch today!    I love cooking with garlic ... the smell brings back childhood memories growing up on the farm.   The man that lived next door "Jock" grew garlic and his barn was full of bags and bags and bags of it.   Everything about Jock ... his clothes, his house, his barn, his ute, EVERYTHING smelt like garlic!!   

The recipe is simple to follow, so don't hesitate for a second - add it to your menu planner!

You will need:

1 lemon

1 large (about 1.6kg) free-range chicken

2 bay leaves

40ml (2 tbs) extra virgin olive oil

1 tbs finely chopped rosemary

40 garlic cloves, skin on

300ml chicken stock

300ml white wine

What to do:

Preheat oven to 190°C.

Cut the lemon in half lengthways and place in the cavity of the chicken with the bay leaves.

Tie the legs together with kitchen string to secure, then rub with the olive oil and sprinkle with the rosemary.

Place the chicken in an ovenproof casserole dish, add the garlic cloves, stock and wine and bring to the boil on the stovetop over medium heat.

Cover with a lid and transfer to the oven for 1 hour and 10 minutes. Remove lid and roast for a further 20 minutes or until the chicken is golden brown.

Remove the chicken from dish and set aside to rest. Use a slotted spoon to remove about 16 of the garlic cloves and set aside. Place the baking dish on the stovetop over high heat and simmer for 5-6 minutes to reduce to a sauce, pressing the garlic to release the flavour. Strain.

Serve the roast chicken with the reserved garlic cloves and drizzle with a little sauce.

I served the chicken with mashed potato & beans.