Recipe: Forty Cloves and Who's Counting Chicken

FORTY CLOVES AND WHO'S COUNTING CHICKEN

46 plump, unpeeled garlic cloves, divided use
1 1/2 teaspoons or more coarse salt, preferably kosher
1/2 cup (approximately) coarsely chopped fresh herbs (such as tarragon, thyme, oregano and sage)
Freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided use
1 (3 1/2 to 4 pound) organic free-range fryer, cut up
French bread or toast, thinly sliced, heated, for serving

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Peel six garlic cloves, sprinkle with salt and mince, pressing the garlic into the salt with the flat of the knife to form a rough paste. Transfer to a small bowl and stir in the chopped herbs, pepper and 1/4 cup olive oil.

With clean fingers, generously spread the garlic mixture over the chicken pieces. Set the pieces in a roasting pan with the breast sides up.

Add the 40 unpeeled cloves to the bowl that contained the garlic mixture, and toss to lightly coat them with the oil remaining on the sides of the bowl. Tuck the garlic cloves in and around the chicken pieces. Drizzle the remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil over the chicken.

Roast for 30 minutes and then drizzle the chicken with the pan juices. Continue to roast until fork-tender and just browned, 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the middle of a breast reads 165 degrees F.

Serve the chicken with the pan juices and garlic gloves. Pass the French bread. Squeeze the softer roasted garlic from the root end onto the bread, spread and enjoy with the chicken. Squeeze or pop the more caramelized garlic from the root end onto the plate and eat whole, seasoned with salt and pepper.

Adapted from source: Everything Tastes Better With Garlic by Sarah Perry