Roasted Garlic Clove Chicken

Easy, economical and delicious!

This recipe comes from the show Ten Dollar Dinners on the Food Network where Melissa always comes up with awesome meals that are economical. Check it out sometime!  At this time, it is airing every weekday afternoon EST.

You can imagine the delicious flavor of this chicken with all that garlic!  That is, if you love garlic like I do.

Ingredients

• 8 chicken thighs
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 head garlic, separated into whole cloves, papery skin removed (about 20 cloves)
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 teaspoons herbes de Provence
• 1 teaspoon flour
• 1/4 cup chicken stock
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• Bread, for serving

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Rinse and pat dry the chicken. Salt and pepper liberally and allow to temper on a cutting board while you prepare the garlic. 

In a large ovenproof saute pan over medium heat, cook the whole garlic cloves in olive oil and butter, stirring occasionally, until lightly golden, about 10 minutes. Remove the garlic from the pan and set aside. 

Increase the heat to medium high and brown the chicken skin-side down until the skin is golden and crispy, about 5 minutes. Turn the chicken over, sprinkle on herbes de Provence. 

Add the garlic back to the pan and place hot pan in oven. Bake the chicken until cooked through, about 25 minutes. 

Once the chicken is done, remove chicken thighs and garlic to a platter. Place the pan over medium-high heat and sprinkle the drippings with flour and stir to incorporate. Deglaze the pan with the stock and lemon juice. *

Pour the sauce over the chicken on the platter and serve with bread for sauce-mopping and garlic-spreading.

*Many comments on the recipe page claimed their gravy did not come out right.  Some tips for the gravy . . .

Make sure the drippings are heated thoroughly before adding flour, followed by the stock and lemon juice.

Depending on how much drippings your chicken produced, you may want to add butter to the drippings and heat thoroughly before adding the flour.

Rosemary, Lemon and Garlic Roasted Chicken

My favorite roasted chicken recipe!

It is amazing how something so simple and easy to make is so incredibly delicious and versatile!  Roasted chicken can go from one meal of the roasted chicken, mashed potatoes, gravy, broccoli and biscuits, to the beginning of a wonderful casserole the next day.

We make our roasted chicken using this method, varying the herbs, but we love rosemary the best.  The one tip I have that is so important . . . we stuff the cavity of the chicken with whole onion, garlic, rosemary and lemons, as much that will fit in!  Don't forget the onion, it makes a huge difference in the flavor of the chicken.

Another method we use . . . stuff the cavity of the chicken with sour oranges if you have them, or oranges, lemons, garlic, whole onions and oregano.  Baste underneath the skin with cuban mojo before putting in the oven.  Once in the oven, continue to baste the chicken with the cuban mojo every 10 minutes.

Why spend the extra money to buy a rotisserie chicken when roasting a chicken is so easy?

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary, plus one 4-inch sprig
• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• zest from 1/2 lemon, grated
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 lemon, halved
• 1 3 1/2- to 4-pound chicken, giblets removed

Directions

1. Adjust oven rack to lowest position. Heat oven to 450° F. Combine 1 tablespoon of the oil, chopped rosemary, garlic, lemon zest, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a small bowl.
    
2. Use your fingers to carefully loosen the skin from the breasts, thighs, and drumsticks. Spread the mixture evenly under the skin. Rub the remaining tablespoon of oil over the skin. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon of the remaining salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Place the lemon halves, rosemary sprig, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt inside the cavity.
3. Place a rack in a large ovenproof skillet or small roasting pan. Place the chicken in the pan. Tuck the wings beneath the chicken, as if it were placing its arms behind its head. Roast for 20 minutes. Add 1 cup water and roast until the chicken is cooked through and the thigh meat registers 180° F on a meat thermometer, about 40 minutes more.
4. Use a spatula to loosen the chicken. With a wad of paper towels in each hand, transfer the bird to a cutting board. Let it rest for at least 15 minutes before carving.

By Pam Anderson , February, 2006
Real Simple