Roasted Butterflied Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic, Lemon, and Rosemary

This is another super garlicky and tasty dish. I made the braised version awhile ago and I thought it's about time I try the roasted version. I prefer this version simply because of the super delicious roasted garlic especially the charred ones! The rosemary is a nice change from thyme, very fragrant and it's much easier to de-stem as compared to thyme.


Ingredients:
Adapted from Wandering Chopsticks
1.5 kg Whole Chicken40 cloves (about 4 bulbs) Garlic - peeled and lightly crushed1 bunch rosemary - leaves only, stems discarded1 LemonFreshly Ground Black PepperSalt

Directions:
Butterfly (or spatchcock) the whole chicken. Shown here.Trim off any excess of fat from the chicken, rinse and pat dry.Salt and pepper the skin and the inside of the chicken.Leave at room temperature for about an hour.Preheat oven to 220°C.Rub skin with oil.Drizzle juice of 1 lemon all over the skin and inside of the chicken.Quarter the lemon and place the lemon wedges together with rosemary and garlic cloves on a baking tray.Place chicken on top of the bed of herbs.Roast at 220°C for about 10 mins.Reduce heat to 180°C and continue roasting for about 30-40 mins or until done (juices should run clear when a skewer is inserted into the leg).