Can I have some chewing gum: Chicken with Forty Cloves of Garlic

No you read that correctly, forty (40) cloves of garlic. I have to admit I did wonder was it a typo in the recipe but a quick google search revealed that it is a common recipe and a traditional French bistro dish. You might be afraid that you will stink of garlic for months after but the taste of roasted garlic cloves is so mellow and sweet you will wish you had used more cloves. This is a really lovely recipe. I wouldn't say it is a show stopper or I would serve it on "Come Dine With Me", but it is a really fragrant and moreish recipe that is easy to make and can be served with anything from rice to roasted potatoes or chips. Another idea is to toast a baguette and squeeze the flesh of the garlic onto the warm bread.

Ingredients:

2 Celery Stalks (chopped roughly)

2 Sprigs Rosemary

4 Sprigs Thyme

4 Sprigs Parsley

1 Whole Chicken

40 Cloves Garlic (unpeeled)

2 tbsp Olive Oil

1 Carrot (chopped roughly)

1 Onion (cut into 4 wedges)

250ml White Wine

Method:

• Preheat oven to 200°C. Put a chopped celery stalk & 2 sprigs each of rosemary, thyme & parsley into the chicken cavity. Add 6 cloves of garlic. Tie the legs together.
• Brush chicken with olive oil & season. Scatter 10 cloves over the base of a cassarole dish along with the remaining herbs, chopped celery stalk, carrot & onion. 
• Put the chicken in the cassarole dish. Add the remaining garlic cloves, a drizzle of oil & the wine. Cover and bake for 1hr 20 min or until the chicken is tender & the juices run clear. 
• Once cooked, carefully lift the chicken out of the cassarole dish. Strain off the juices into a saucepan. Pick out the garlic cloves from the strained mixture. Spoon the fat off the juices & boil for 2-3 minutes to thicken up slightly. 
• Carve the chicken as normal, pour the juice and scatter with the garlic. 
• Enjoy