Ingredients:

  • 1 whole chicken (4-5 lb / 2-2.3 kg)
  • 1.5 tbsp Diamond Crystal Kosher salt
  • 1 tsp freshly cracked tellicherry peppercorns
  • 1 full head garlic
  • 3 sprigs fresh rosemary
  • 3 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 3 sprigs fresh sage
  • 3 tbsp avocado oil
  • 1 medium lemon

Instructions:

  1. Remove the chicken from the fridge 30 minutes before cooking. Use paper towels to pat the bird completely dry, inside and out. Rub the 1.5 tbsp Kosher salt and 1 tsp tellicherry pepper all over the skin and inside the cavity.
  2. In a small bowl, combine the 3 tbsp avocado oil with 8 minced garlic cloves, chopped rosemary, thyme, and sage. Mix until it forms a thick, aromatic paste. Rub this mixture over the entire chicken, getting under the skin of the breast where possible.
  3. Place the halved lemon and the remaining garlic cloves inside the chicken cavity. These will release steam as the bird cooks, flavoring it from the inside.
  4. Preheat your oven to 425°F (218°C). Place the chicken on the roasting rack. Roast for 15 minutes at this high temperature to jumpstart the skin crisping process.
  5. Reduce the oven temperature to 375°F (190°C). Continue roasting for about 1 hour. Cook until the internal temperature reaches 165°F (74°C) in the thickest part of the thigh without hitting the bone.
  6. Remove the chicken from the Roaster with Garlic and Herbs and place it on a carving board. Let it rest for 15 to 20 minutes before cutting.
  7. Separate the legs and wings first, then slice the breast meat against the grain. The skin should be crackling under your knife.
  8. Drizzle any accumulated juices from the resting board back over the sliced meat for an extra boost of garlic herb flavor.