Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken (3 lb 5 oz–4 lb/1.5 kg–1.8 kg)
- Sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 5¼ oz (150 g) Roasted Garlic Herb Butter (found below), at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 garlic head
- ½ lemon
- ¼ bunch of flat-leaf parsley
- 20 shallots, peeled and halved
- ¼ cup (60 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Pat the chicken skin dry with paper towels and generously season all over with salt and pepper. Sprinkle salt and pepper inside the cavity of the chicken. If you have time, place the chicken into the fridge uncovered overnight or for a minimum of 2 hours. This step will act as a dry brine for the chicken and leave you with the juiciest meat.
- When ready to cook the chicken, take out of the fridge 30–60 minutes prior.
- Preheat the oven to 350°F.
- Using your fingers, carefully separate the skin from the chicken breast and stuff each side with roughly one-third of the butter. Season the chicken with the onion and garlic powder, then dollop the remaining butter all over the chicken.
- Using a sharp knife, slice the top off the garlic head, about 1 inch (2.5 cm) down from the top, to expose the raw cloves. Place the garlic head in the cavity of the chicken, along with the lemon and parsley. Tie the legs of the chicken together with kitchen twine—this will help the chicken cook evenly.
- Place the chicken in a roasting pan and scatter the shallots around the chicken. Drizzle the shallots and chicken with the olive oil and season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Bake for 1 hour 20 minutes or until the chicken is golden brown and completely cooked through and the shallots are nice and jammy.
- Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes, then carve and serve with my simple salad and focaccia to mop up all those delicious juices.
Roasted Garlic Herb Butter
Ingredients
- 4 garlic heads
- 2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
- Sea salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 2 sticks (9 oz/250 g) salted butter, at room temperature, chopped
- 1 bunch (1½ oz/40 g) of flat-leaf parsley
- 6 tablespoons (40 g) grated parmesan
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
Instructions
- Using a sharp knife, slice the top off each garlic head, about 1 inch (2.5 cm) down from the top, to expose the raw cloves. Place the heads of garlic onto a large sheet of foil and drizzle with the olive oil. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper, then wrap the heads with the foil. Bake for 1 hour.
- Leave the garlic to slightly cool until you are able to handle it. Using your fingers, squeeze the roasted garlic cloves out of their skins.
- In a food processor, place the roasted garlic, butter, parsley, parmesan, and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Blitz until all the ingredients are smooth and well combined.
- Scoop the butter onto a large piece of parchment paper and roll it into a tight log. Store in the fridge for several weeks.
MAKES 1 4 OZ–1 LB (400–450 G)
Excerpted from Garlic, Olive Oil + Everything Mediterranean: Simple Recipes for the Home Cook. Copyright © 2025 by Daen Lia. Photography Copyright © 2025 by Armelle Habib. Reproduced by permission of Simon Element, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. All rights reserved.
Photo Credit: Armelle Habib
