Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 1 chicken, about 3 1/2 pounds
- Sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 2 sprigs fresh sage
- 2 sprigs flat-leaf parsley
- 2 bay leaves (fresh, not dried, if possible)
- 1/2 lemon
- 1 head of black garlic, cut in 1/2 crosswise
- 1 head of roasted garlic
- 5 sprigs of thyme
- 1/2 cup butter
- 6 peeled black garlic cloves
- 30 (40 if you’re bold!) cloves of garlic, unpeeled
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 8 to 10 slices country-style bread, toasted or grilled
- Some sherry vinegar or use your favorite type
- For the gravy:
- 1 3/4 tablespoon butter
- 1 3/4 tablespoon flour (or more if needed)
- 1 1/3 cup Chicken stock
- 1/3 cup Sherry
- 1 tablespoon of crème fraiche (optional)
- 1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375º. Wash the chicken, pat it dry and rub the inside and outside with salt and pepper. Place ½ lemon, the halved black garlic head, 1 bay leaf and ½ of the thyme, rosemary, sage and parsley into the cavity of the chicken. Place the remaining herbs in a pot just large enough to hold the chicken.
- Place the butter, peeled black garlic, roasted garlic pulp and the leaves from 5 sprigs of thyme into a bowl. Season, then mix together to form a roasted black garlic butter. Loosen the skin around the neck of the bird and then around the chicken breasts carefully with the tip of a sharp knife. Using your hands, spread the roasted / black garlic butter all over the breast meat under the skin. Pull the skin back over the chicken.
- Add the oil and the rest of the garlic cloves to the pot and sprinkle the chicken with additional salt and pepper. Roll the chicken in the oil, finishing with the breast side facing up.
- Roast until the chicken is golden brown and, when the thickest part of the thigh is pierced with a fork, the juices run clear, about 1 hour and 45 minutes. If the skin hasn’t browned to you liking, increase the heat in the last few minutes but watch it carefully so it doesn’t burn!
- Baste the bird at regular intervals with the pan juices. At least twice during the basting process, sprinkle drops of sherry vinegar over the skin of the bird. This is an old French cooking trick I’ve learned to help crisp the skin (and it also adds great flavor to the pan juices)!
- When the chicken is done, remove it to a platter, and surround it with the roasted garlic. Let it rest at least 10 minutes.
- While it’s resting, prepare the gravy. Remove the halved head of black garlic from the chicken and extract the individual cloves. Push out the roasted black garlic pulp. Remove the meat juices from the roasting pan and transfer to a small saucepan.
- Melt in butter and stir together. Put in the extracted black garlic clove pulp. Stir in flour. Gradually add sherry. Then gradually add chicken stock. Simmer for 5 minutes and season to taste.
- Optional – add a squeeze of the cooked lemon and 1 tablespoon of crème fraiche and the mustard.
- Carve the chicken onto warmed plates. Spoon over the gravy
- Serve with the grilled or toasted country-style bread, inviting each diner to crush the garlic cloves (to remove the skin) and spread the garlic purée onto their toast.
- Superb served with sautéed green beans and a refreshing salad beforehand.
- Prep Time: 0 hours
- Cook Time: 0 hours
Nutrition
- Calories: 1496.59 kcal
- Sugar: 7.72 g
- Sodium: 1942.72 mg
- Fat: 84.59 g
- Saturated Fat: 32.58 g
- Trans Fat: 1.41 g
- Carbohydrates: 114.41 g
- Fiber: 10.78 g
- Protein: 74.49 g
- Cholesterol: 281.0 mg
