This traditional French way of cooking a roast chicken makes that most of the garlic’s rich, sweet flavour because the cloves are cooked in their skins. The chopped celery, bay leaves, rosemary, and thyme make this one of the most delicious ways to enjoy one of life’s ultimate comfort foods.
Ingredients:
- 2 celery stalks, chopped
- 1 large organic chicken (approx 1.6kg)
- 2 large sprigs of rosemary
- 2 large sprigs of thyme
- 2-3 large garlic bulbs
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- salt and freshly ground pepper
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 large carrot, chopped or diced
- 1 small onion, cut into wedges
Step by step:
- Preheat your oven to 200C / gas mark 6
- Place the chopped celery, 1 sprig of each herb and a small handful of unpeeled garlic cloves into the chicken cavity.
- Place half the remaining cloves in a lidded casserole, sit the chicken on top, brush with the olive oil and season well. Arrange the bay leaves, carrot, onion and remaining herbs and garlic cloves around the chicken.
- Drizzle with olive oil, cover and roast for 1 hour 20 minutes or until the bird is tender and the juices run clear when the flesh between the legs and body with a skewer or knife.
- A great way to serve the chicken is with slices of crusty toasted bread spread with the soft flesh of the garlic cloves. Alternatively, whisk the garlic flesh with the juices from the bottom of the casserole to make a delicious creamy sauce.
Tips:
Add a glug of white wine or Marsala at step 4 if you like and if you want to shove half a lemon in the birds cavity, all well and good. Having said that, this dish is so flavoursome, these additions are really not necessary.
We had several pieces of green and red cabbage to use up, so quickly stir fried them as a nice vegetable accompaniment. Use a flavoured oil like Filippo Berio’s chilli or garlic oil, Waitrose Ā£6.75 / 250ml.
HEAL 