| 1 |
Preheat the oven to 400 F. |
| 2 |
Dry the chicken and rub all over, inside and out, with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Take one of the garlic cloves and cut it into fine slivers. Stick several of these in betweet the skin and the flesh of the breast and legs. Put the chicken breast side up in a roasting pan a little larger than the bird. Chop up the remaining garlic and throw it around the chicken. Sprinkle on the thyme and half the parsley. Pour on the juice from the lemon. Drizzle a little vegetable or olive oil on top of the bird. Pour about 1/2 a cup of water into the pan. Place the chicken in the oven. |
| 3 |
After 15 minutes, baste the bird with some of its juices and move it to and fro in the pan to make sure it is not sticking to the bottom. Reduce the oven heat to 350 F. Keep roasting the bird till it is done, about another 1-1/2 hours or until the juices run clear when you pick the thigh. Baste every 15 or 20 minutes, adding a little water if needed. If the breast skin is not absolutely crisp when the chicken is done, just raise the heat in the oven in the last few minutes of cooking. |
| 4 |
Remove the chicken to a carving platter. To make the gravy, degrease the cooking juices with a spoon. Add 1/2 a cup of water, or chicken broth if you have it, and bring to a low boil. Add the remaining parsley. In a small cup, mix the flour with a little water till well incorporated. Add a couple of spoonfuls of the hot liquid to the flour mixture and mix. Then pour this thickener into the gravy, mixing continuously. Taste for salt and pepper, then pour into a gravy boat. Take the bird to the table and carve. Boiled, roast, or mashed potatoes go well, as do dumplings, plus a green salad or some green beans or carrots. |
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