20 Cloves of Garlic Roast Chicken

By ccavaletti

Ingredients

• 20 garlic cloves, peeled, divided
• 1 broiler/fryer chicken (3 to 4 lbs.)
• 4 lemon wedges
• 8 fresh thyme sprigs, cut in half
• 2 Tbsp butter, softened
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/8 tsp freshly ground pepper

Details

Servings 4

Preparation

Step 1

Cut 12 garlic cloves in half. Place chicken on a cutting board. Tuck wings under chicken. With a sharp paring knife, cut 24 small slits in breasts, drumsticks and thighs. Insert each with a halved garlic clove.

Place the lemon wedges, thyme and remaining whole garlic cloves in chicken cavity. Tie drumsticks together.

Transfer chicken to a rack in a shallow roasting pan, breast side up. Rub skin with butter; sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Roast, uncovered, at 350º for 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 hours or until a thermometer inserted in thigh reaches 180º. Remove chicken from oven; tent with foil. Let stand for 15 minutes before carving.

**I made two chickens and it took a whole lot longer!!

Taste of Home Magazine, February/March 2013