Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic

2 tablespoons butter

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 whole chicken

40 cloves garlic

¼ cup water

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon dried thyme

¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Melt the butter with the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the chicken to the Dutch oven and brown on all sides in the butter and oil, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove the chicken to a cutting board.

Drain all but 2 tablespoons of liquid from the pan; stir the garlic cloves into the reserved liquid. Return the chicken to the pan; sprinkle the water, lemon juice, salt, thyme, and black pepper over the chicken; cover tightly.

Bake the chicken in the preheated oven until no longer pink at the bone and the juices run clear, about 90 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh should read 180 degrees F (82 degrees C). Remove the chicken from the oven, cover with a doubled sheet of aluminum foil, and allow to rest in a warm area for 10 minutes before slicing.