Alton Brown's 40 Cloves of Garlic and a Chicken

I've been making this recipe since I was in college........probably longer than Alton has been alive. Now, 40 cloves of garlic sounds like a lot but it actually turns out wonderful and mild... NOTHING smells better than this when it's in the oven!

1 hr 30 min
6 servings

1 whole chicken (broiler/fryer) cut into 8 pieces
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil
10 sprigs fresh thyme
40 peeled cloves garlic
Salt and pepper

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. 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.