Garlic Chicken

This sounds like a lot of garlic but the flavour mellows beautifully.

Serve with green salad and some creamy mashed potatoes. 1 whole chicken -- cut into 8 pieces 1/2 cup olive oil -- plus 2 tablespoons olive oil 10 sprigs fresh thyme 40 garlic cloves -- peeled Salt -- to taste Freshly-ground black pepper -- to taste Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Toss with 2 tablespoons olive oil and brown on both sides in a wide fry pan over high heat. Remove from heat, add oil, thyme, and garlic cloves. Put in a covered dish and bake for 1 1/2 hours. Remove chicken from the oven, let rest for 5 to 10 minutes, carve, and serve. This recipe yields 6 servings.