40 Cloves and a Chicken

My BFFs make this dish all the time and rave about it. I finally made it tonight and it's a winner for sure. No vampires will be bothering us tonight with the 40 cloves of garlic that make this dish so delicious. This recipe calls for a whole chicken, broken down into 8 pieces. I prefer to just use the breast, but suggest using bone-in chicken breast otherwise the chicken will dry out. The chicken is seared on the stove top first but then roasted in the oven with olive oil and garlic, which gets soft and spreadable. Serve with a yummy loaf of crusty bread to sop up the oil and spread the garlic on. This recipe is courtesy of Alton Brown.

Ingredients
1 whole chicken (broiler/fryer) cut into 8 pieces (or 4 bone-in chicken breasts)
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
10 sprigs fresh thyme
40 peeled cloves garlic (you can find already peeled garlic in the produce section)
Salt and pepper

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Season chicken with salt and pepper. Toss with a 2 tablespoons olive oil and brown on both sides in a wide fry pan or skillet over high heat. (I used my cast-iron skillet, but just make sure your skillet or pan is oven safe.) Remove from heat, add oil, thyme, and garlic cloves. Cover and bake for 1 1/2 hours.

Remove chicken from the oven, let rest for 5 to 10 minutes, carve, and serve.