Because it is cooked in a covered casserole with a small amount of liquid, this chicken steams as it roasts, so the flesh ends up moist and succulent. Forty cloves may seem like a lot of garlic, but garlic loses much of its pungency and becomes nutty and sweet when roasted. Serve the unpeeled garlic cloves along with the chicken and let everyone have fun squeezing them out of their jackets.
Remove the neck and giblets from, then rinse and pat dry:
1 whole chicken (3 1/2 to 4 pounds each)
Rub the skin with:
Olive oil
Mix together, then rub into the body cavity and over the skin:
1 teaspoon dried thyme, crumbled
1 teaspoon dried sage, crumbled
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, crumbled
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
Place in the cavity:
1 lemon, quartered
If you wish, perform a simple truss (see Roasting Whole Poultry). Arrange the chicken breast side up in a casserole, cover, and refrigerate for 2 to 24 hours.
Position a rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 375┬░F.
Add to the casserole with the chicken:
3 heads garlic, cloves separated but not peeled
1 1/4 cups chicken stock
1 cup dry white wine
Bring to a boil, cover the casserole and roast the chicken for 25 minutes. Increase the oven temperature to 450┬░F, uncover the casserole, and roast the chicken until the thigh exudes clear juices when pricked deeply with a fork and registers 170┬░ to 175┬░ on an instant-read thermometer, 35 to 60 minutes more. Check to make sure there is always some liquid in the bottom of the casserole; add a little more wine or stock if needed. Remove the chicken and garlic from the casserole and keep warm. Skim as much fat as possible from the pan juices with a spoon. If the pan juices are watery or weak in flavor, boil them down over high heat to concentrate. (Transfer the juices to a saucepan if your casserole cannot withstand direct heat.) If you wish, peel 6 or more of the garlic cloves, mash to a paste, stir into the sauce, and boil for 1 minute. Remove the sauce from the heat and stir in, if you wish:
2 tablespoons minced parsley or finely shredded basil or 2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme, fresh tarragon, or fresh rosemary
Season with:
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
Cut the chicken into serving pieces and arrange on a platter. Spoon the pan juices over it and scatter the garlic cloves around it.
