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I’ve made my fair share of roast chickens, and to tell you the truth, I didn’t think my recipe could get any better. The chicken always comes out super flavorful, the skin golden and crispy and the addition of potatoes secures it’s place as a family favorite. But then I saw this recipe for Garlic and Thyme Roasted Chicken with Crispy Croutons. The recipe is rather similar to what I usually make, but then genius comes into play and bread is placed under the chicken to collect the juicy drippings. That just sounded too good not to try, so I got to work.

I picked up a baguette at a local shop, but any type of slightly stale sturdy white bread should work, like country bread or ciabatta. I sliced it up into 1/4 inch thick slices and placed it in the bottom of the pan. Next I stuffed my chicken with a whole lot of garlic, a lemon, some thyme and a bay leaf. I carefully placed the chicken over the slices of bread and that’s it! Into the oven it goes.

An hour and a half later the chicken was ready and I couldn’t wait to get my hands on one of those pieces of bread. As usual, the chicken was a crispy and golden and was incredibly flavorful and moist. The bread was awesome. Some pieces were a little extra crispy, some were evenly crispy and some were still a little moist, but they were all delicious. While they’re not the healthiest addition to a wholesome meal, they add a nice texture to meal and will make you happy.

Garlic and Thyme Roasted Chicken With Crispy Drippings Croutons
from the New York Times

Country bread, ciabatta or other sturdy bread, preferably stale, sliced at least 1/2-inch thick
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, more as needed
2 teaspoons kosher salt, more as needed
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, more as needed
1 4- to 5-pound chicken, patted dry
1 garlic head, sliced in half horizontally, through the cloves*
1 bay leaf
1/2 lemon
1/2 bunch thyme sprigs.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
1
Arrange oven rack so that it is in center of oven. Lay bread slices in a thick, heavy-duty metal roasting pan in one layer. (Try not to use a thin or dark colored pan, which may cause bread to burn: see note.) Drizzle liberally with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
2
Rub 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper inside cavity of chicken. Stuff cavity with garlic, bay leaf, lemon and thyme.
3
Rub outside of chicken with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and sprinkle all over with remaining salt and pepper. Place it breast side up on bread.
4
Roast chicken until it is deeply browned and juices run clear when thigh is pricked with a knife, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Let rest for 10 minutes before carving. Serve chicken with bread from pan.

* I cut mine the wrong way in the picture. Cut them the other way.