Forty Cloves of Garlic Chicken

1 (2 1/2 to 3 pound) fryer
40 unpeeled garlic cloves
1/2 cup dry white wine
Pan Sauce (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Remove fat from rear cavity of chicken. Rinse chicken under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels inside and out. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper, and place breast side down in shallow roasting pan. Arrange unpeeled garlic cloves around chicken in roasting pan. Bake for 20 minutes.

Pour wine over chicken and continue baking, basting every 20 minutes with pan juices, until done. Remove chicken to heated platter, reserving pan juices.

Serve with garlic or use garlic in sauce.

Pan Sauce
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup whipping cream
40 reserved unpeeled garlic cloves
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Skim fat from roasting pan and discard. Place pan on burner over high heat and add stock and cream. Boil 2 to 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, pop cooked garlic out of peels and puree in blender or food processor fitted with steel knife. Stir garlic into sauce and cook another minute. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Yields 2 to 4 servings.