Lemony Sage Chicken in Milk

Pomona Moon's Note:

Italian lemon chicken with a lumpy cream cheeselike sauce. Based on a recipe of Jamie Oliver, but I added personal instructions to recipe. Serve with cooked spinach or green beans and white rice or couscous, mashed potato or polenta, depending on the season.

• Total Time: 1 hrs 40 mins
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 1 hrs 30 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

• 1 (3 lb) whole chicken
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• salt
• black pepper
• 2 -3 lemons
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 ounces butter
• 4 -5 sprigs fresh sage , leaves picked
• ½ cinnamon stick
• 6 cloves garlic , skins left on
• ½ liter milk

Directions:

1. Pour oil over the chicken and season generously with salt and pepper, rub it in all over.
2. Cut strips of lemon peel and put aside.
3. Cut the lemons in halves, juice and place lemons in the cavity of the chicken; put juice aside.
4. Remove sage leaves and put aside; place sprigs also in cavity.
5. Heat olive oil in cooking pot, add butter and fry the chicken in the butter, turning the chicken to get an even color all over, until golden.
6. Remove from the heat, put the chicken on a plate temporarily, and throw away the burned butter from the pot.
7. The leftover sticky dark residue at the bottom of the pan, will add to the flavor of this recipe.
8. Use new butter and put the chicken back in the pot with the rest of the ingredients, milk last, and cook in a preheated oven for 1 1/2 hours on 190 C or 375°F.
9. Baste the chicken with the cooking juice when you remember.
10. The zest from the lemon will sort of split and curdle the milk, making a fantastic lumpy cream cheese sauce.
11. Remove cinnamon stick before serving.