Roasted chicken with garlic jus

Start by choosing a really nice quality organic bird.  Optimally you can get a very fresh whole chicken.  Let it sit out side of the fridge for at least one hour to come to room temperature - which will allow it to cook more evenly.  

Prevent the oven to 425 degrees.  

Wash the bird if it’s been wrapped in plastic or not organic, pat dry.  Rub the entire chicken with fresh lemon.  Season with dry herbs de Provence, flakey salt, like maldons, and fresh ground peppercorns - I like the mix of white, red baies, black and green peppercorns.  Use some chunks of good quality butter - working in under the skin above the breast. Truss the bird with cooking twine - really just any way to tie the legs and wings tightly to the body so that they don’t dry out.   Cut a couple of whole heads of garlic into half and roast them in the pan next to the chicken facing down with peel on and open side facing down.  Place the lemon rinds and Some chopped onions or shallots into the cavity as well.  

Place the bird in the center of the oven in a roasting pan.  I like to line the pan with baking paper as it will be easier to clean. 

Roast for 10 min or until golden brown on breast side up then turn it over so that the breast is facing down for another 10 min on 425 -  Basting with olive oil at the same time.  After about 20 min turn the oven down to 350 degrees and remove all the juices out of the bottom of the roasting pan - by pouring them into a saucepan- good to have a helper to hold the bird when you tip the pan to one side.  The purpose is to collect the juice in order to make your sauce.  Baste the bird again with olive oil or butter after another 15 min and check the garlic is soft - if so remove it.  

Finally the bird will be cooked depending on the weight ( 20 min per pound) roughly.  Generally in 1 hour and when the juice runs clear.  Let it set out of the oven to rest for 30 min before carving.  Collect all the juices from the pan in your saucepan to make the sauce.  

The sauce:

Sauté one diced shallot  in some of the fat of the chicken or duck fat, until they are slightly brown around the edges.  Add your pan juices and roasted garlic removed from the peel.  Reduce this for 5-10 min and then add fresh thyme and or rosemary- do not boil the fresh herbs - just let them steep in the sauce like tea, as they will get bitter if boiled.  Season to taste with pepper and salt and a bit of lemon 

Serve this hot over the chicken.  

Et voila!