Garlic and Thyme Roasted Chicken with Courgettes (Zucchini)

We went to England in 2010 and stayed with my hubby's very good friend, Robin, while in London. His wife was away visiting her family abroad at that time so he was left in-charge of taking care of us and feeding us. Wow, I was almost afraid for him - not that we are difficult guests (LOL) but just because I didn't want him to make a fuss or to be intimidated with our presence.

Little did I know, he's quite a master in the kitchen and cooked for us one of the best Roasted chicken I have ever tasted. The chicken was flavorful and the Courgettes (Zucchini) were meltingly delicious! Thankfully, he showed me his amazing and very easy technique which lent so much lovely flavors to the chicken. When I went back to the US, I tried to replicate his style but tweaked the dish by using herbs and recipes that are available here and this fusion brought us this favorite chicken dish that my husband simply adores - Thyme-Roasted  Chicken with Courgettes (Zucchini). Apart from Thyme, I sometimes use Rosemary which is what I used the first time I made this dish. I also added some red chili flakes for some spicy kick. I didn't add any ground paprika at that time hence the color in the photo below is not vibrantly red as the one above. Feel free to use your favorite herbs for this and you may omit the chili flakes if you don't like it spicy and whether you decide to make it with ground paprika or not it's sure to be delicious. The secret is in the garlic so don't omit it! :-) Below is the photo of my first attempt with a whole Roasted Chicken! It was really tasty! Enjoy!

Ingredients

1 whole Garlic, cloves crushed (leave peel on)

4 Tablespoons, Olive Oil (set aside 2 Tablespoons)
3 teaspoons ground Paprika
3 Tablespoons fresh Thyme* (or 2 teaspoons dried)
1 teaspoon Garlic powder
2 teaspoons Salt
½ - 1 teaspoon freshly Ground Black Pepper, or to taste
¼ to ½ teaspoon red pepper/chili flakes, or to taste*
3-4 lbs one Whole Chicken 
3-4 medium Courgettes or Zucchini, sliced* 

*You can use Rosemary too.
*Use only 1/4 teaspoon chili flakes if you want a milder version or you can omit it, too.
*You can also replace this with your favorite vegetable but we love how the zucchini absorbs all the juices.

Procedure

Preheat the oven to 375 F. 

In low to medium heat, fry the unpeeled garlic cloves in half the olive oil just until a little brown, about 2-3 minutes. Set aside.

Mix the paprika, thyme (or rosemary), garlic powder, salt and pepper, and chili flakes with the remaining 2 Tablespoons Olive oil in a bowl. Rub the mixture all over the chicken. 

Place the garlic with the oil in a large oven-safe dish or casserole and then mix in the Courgettes until they are coated with the oil. You can season it with a little salt and pepper if you wish. Set the courgettes on the side and place the chicken in the middle or on top. (When I am in a hurry I just mix the spices and seasonings on the dish and coat the chicken with it and then add the garlic and oil plus the courgettes).

Roast in the preheated 375 F oven for about 1 hour and 30 minutes or until chicken is gloriously brown and fully cooked and tender. A meat thermometer inserted on the thickest part of the thigh should register 180 F.

Serve with rice or roasted potatoes. Delicious!

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