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one cooked whole chicken with lightly browned intact skin resting on an everyday serving platter with a small pool of smooth pale tan garlic sauce beside it, with no raw garlic cloves, lemon slices, vegetables or garnish
Andre Lewis

Crockpot Whole Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic

Forty garlic cloves sound fierce until they spend the afternoon softening beside a whole chicken. They become the sauce, not little raw bites scattered over the skin. Peel them before starting and give them a short turn in butter, then lift the cooked bird carefully for its broiler finish; the tender joints can separate if you grab it by one leg. Blend the softened garlic into the defatted juices while the chicken rests so every carved portion gets some of that mellow sauce.
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 6 hours 45 minutes
Total Time 7 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 6
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 1 whole chicken 4 to 4 1/2 lb, fully thawed and giblets removed
  • 40 garlic cloves peeled, about 5 oz
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine
  • 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 1 tsp fine salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp neutral oil for roasting pan

Method
 

  1. Pat chicken dry inside and out and season with salt and pepper, leaving the cavity empty. Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat and cook whole garlic cloves for 5 minutes, turning often without burning them.
  2. Add wine and simmer for 3 minutes. Pour garlic, wine and butter into a 6-quart oval slow cooker, add broth and thyme, and place the chicken breast-side up over the garlic.
  3. Cover and cook on low for 5 to 6 hours until the thickest breast reaches 165°F and the thigh reaches at least 175°F, without touching bone with the thermometer.
  4. Heat the broiler and oil a small roasting pan. Support the bird underneath with two broad spatulas, transfer carefully to the pan and broil 6 inches from the heat for 4 to 6 minutes until the skin is lightly browned.
  5. Rest chicken for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, skim fat from the cooking juices and blend them with the softened garlic until smooth, venting steam carefully.
  6. Simmer the garlic sauce in a saucepan for 5 to 8 minutes until slightly reduced. Carve chicken into 6 servings and spoon the sauce alongside.