Oven-roasted Chicken With Forty Garlic Cloves

Total Time: 2 hrs 20 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 2 hrs

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 2 (1 kg) chicken
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• salt and black pepper
• 1 lemon, thinly sliced
• 10 -14 sprigs rosemary, be generous
• 4 heads garlic
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup plain flour
• 1 tablespoon oil
• 1/2 cup water

Recipe

• 1 wash and clean the inside cavity of each chicken, and pat dry with absorbent paper.
• 2 rub oil over each chicken. season each generously with salt and pepper, using your hands to rub the seasoning thoroughly over the chicken.
• 3 tuck the wing tips under the chicken, place a few lemon slices inside the cavity of each chicken, followed by sprigs of herbs.
• 4 tie the legs together with kitchen string.
• 5 place the chickens side by side in a deep casserole dish (one with a tight fitting lid).
• 6 see note:
• 7 twist the central stalk of the garlic heads to loosen the cloves, rub away any loose papery skin but don't peel the cloves.
• 8 sprinkle cloves around the chickens, add remaining lemon slices and sprigs of herbs, and drizzle with extra olive oil.
• 9 note: if you do not have a tight fitting lid use sealing paste.
• 10 to make sealing paste blend flour with combined oil and water to form a dough-like paste. with your fingers, spread the paste around the edge of the casserole dish and gently press the lid over the paste.
• 11 cook the chicken in a moderately slow 160c oven for 2 hours. do not remove the lid.
• 12 a green salad is all you need as an accompaniment.