Broiled Chicken with Garlic

Six cloves of garlic go into this chicken: two pressed into the skin as a rub, four slivered on top during broiling. The garlic hits you in waves. The pressed cloves meld into the meat during the 30-minute rest, while the slivers toast under the broiler into crispy, golden chips.

Rosemary and garlic is one of the simplest, most reliable combinations in all of cooking. A rub of both, seasoned with salt and pepper, is all the chicken needs before it hits the broiler.

Chicken broth brushed on the surface before and during broiling serves double duty. It keeps the skin from drying out under the intense heat, and it adds a savory gloss that makes the finished chicken look and taste like it came from a proper rotisserie.

Basting with pan drippings during the second half concentrates the garlic and rosemary flavor on the surface.

Chef Tips

• Let the rubbed chicken rest at room temperature for 30 minutes before broiling. This lets the garlic and rosemary start to perfume the meat and takes the chill off for more even cooking.
• Keep a little broth in the bottom of the pan to prevent the drippings from burning and smoking.
• Watch the garlic slivers carefully. They go from golden to burnt fast under a broiler. If they start getting too dark, move the pan down a rack.
• Use bone-in, skin-on quarters. The bones protect the meat from the broiler’s direct heat and the skin crisps beautifully.

Variations

• Lemon garlic: Add lemon zest to the rub and squeeze lemon juice over the chicken after broiling.
• Herb butter baste: Replace chicken broth with melted herb butter for a richer, more indulgent finish.