How to Make Garlic Chicken

Friday night is the night we have a casual supper, something we can watch a movie with while sitting in the living room. This week I decided it was time to break this tradition; lately, I have found myself thinking it was time to do something differently; to chart a slightly different course that the one I habitually follow. Habit is the apt phrase, breaking habits and routines can lift us out of ruts and lead us to new ventures.

I have not been feeling like I was caught in a rut, however, I do want to upscale my cooking skills so, here it is Friday night and instead of the usual (hot dogs, pizza, fish and chips or hamburgers) I am making a garlic roast chicken.

The choice of chicken began when I was slowly strolling around the local grocery store, seeing what was actually there rather than moving quickly to the same items I all too often buy. I visit the store regularly to scope out the sales. It is walking distance from hone so simple enough to do.

I was thinking about either roast beef or chicken for supper as I wandered along the meat aisle.

The decision was made when I saw that the grain fed, Nova Scotia chickens were being sold at half price in this case five dollars each instead of ten. There were only two left ands I bought both. One is now in the freezer the other in the oven.

Chicken is great to work with; there are many recipes available and quite a few are simple enough to use. The only problem I have with this versatile bird is it is often too bland to be a fun food. I like flavour and variety. The following recipe is basic and takes about 15 minutes prep time and two hours cooking.

Garlic Roast Chicken (recipe)

Ingredients:

1- 7 pound whole chicken

2- 2 tbsp olive oil

3- 6 cloves garlic (1 clove thinly sliced the other whole peeled.)

4- 1 cup water

Preparation

1- Wash chicken inside and out

2- Thinly slice one garlic clove, and then put the slices under the chicken skin.

3- Place other five cloves inside empty chicken cavity

4- Place chicken in roasting pan

5- Add water

6- Drizzle olive oil over bird

7- Preheat oven to 450F

8- When oven ready, place roasting pan in oven and reduce heat to 350F

9- Cook for 2 hours about 20 minutes per pound.

Remove and carve. I serve this with small white potatoes either cooked along with chicken or steamed and carrots, sliced. The water left in the pan can be saved and used when making a stew.