forty clove chicken

You know how on those fashion shows they always show you teh before and after?  Welllll, all I have to show you is one ugly bird... but I think this photo also shows you the simplicity of the dish, and I certainly made it more "complicated" than necessary.  All you really need, to my understanding, is some salt, pepper, a chicken and 2 heads of garlic.  I have every faith that such a simple meal would be scumptious indeed, but I added in some herbs, a lemon, onion and some celery so I could get meat and veggies all in one.

This is a very vague recipe.  Make it your own.  I'm about to make it again, possible with lemon, honey and chilis.

Ingredients:

1 chicken

2 heads garlic

herbs of choice

1 lemon

1 onion

4 stalks of celery

1) Chop the onion and celery coarsely.  Layer in bottom of crockpot.

2) Peel 2 heads of garlic.  I use the "smash and peel" method whereby I put a clove on a cutting board, lay the flat side of my knife against it and smack the other flat side of the knife with my fist.  It crushes the garlic, letting our flavor, and ruptures the skin to where the skin slides off easily.

3) Clean the chicken.  Rub it with sliced lemon, salt and pepper.  Rub on seasoning/herbs of choice and put in crockpot.

4) Cook on low 8 hours.  Remove chicken from pot, debone, and either put pieces back in pot or serve with the juice and onion/garlic spooned over the chicken pieces.