Roasted Spiced Whole Chicken

Oh baby, do I love this recipe!! I don't make whole birds very often- it takes a lot of time and I've had some bad experiences with under cooked meat. (ick) But ooooohhhh this is SOOO good! I love the leftover chicken and the house smells just delectable! Tonight's meal was accompanied by a fresh salad (feta and Greek dressing!) and Mom's Rice Pilaf- another big crowd pleaser. It was so good!.


Roasted Chicken
From Allrecipes.com

• 2 tsp. Salt
  
• 1 tsp. Sugar
  
• 1/8 tsp. Ground Cloves
  
• 1/8 tsp. Allspice
  
• 1/8 tsp. Cinnamon
  
• 1/8 tsp. Nutmeg
  
• 4+ Cloves of Garlic
  
• 1 Whole Roaster Chicken

1. Preheat over to 500 degrees.
   
2. Mix together spices. On the clean prepped chicken, rub the spices on top of and under the skin. We don't eat the skin, so I pull it up gently and rub the spices underneath with my fingertips.
   
3. Break up the garlic cloves and place them inside the chicken cavity.
   
4. Place the chicken breast side up on a roasting pan and place in the over for 15 minutes.
   
5. After the first 15 minutes of roasting, turn the heat down to 450. Cook for another 15 minutes.
   
6. Baste the chicken with juices from the pan. Turn the heat down to 425 and cook for another 25-30 minutes until the meat is cooked through. Baste once or twice again if desired. Test for doneness when the juices run clear and you can stick a knife into the deepest part of the breast for just an instant and the tip is hot when touched to your lip.
   
7. Remove chicken from oven and let it sit for about 15-20 minutes before carving and serving.