Roasted Chicken With Potatoes and Olives

This is a recipe from Rachael Ray's website. It is easy to make and very healthy.

• Ready In: 1 hr 30 mins
• Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 4  tablespoons kosher salt
• 6  garlic cloves, crushed
• 1  small onion, coarsely chopped
• 2  sprigs rosemary, cut into 2 inch lengths
• 2 -3  fresh bay leaves
• 2 1⁄2 quarts water
• 1  chicken (quartered)
• 12  small onions (white pearl or cippolini)
• 1  bulb of garlic, cloves crushed and skinned
• 2  lemons, 1 sliced, 1 cut into quarters, divided
• 1  cup  cerignola  olive (or 1 cup other good-quality green olives)
• 2 -3  fresh bay leaves
• 2  tablespoons thyme, chopped
•  salt and pepper
•  extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling (EVOO)

Directions

1. The day before the meal, combine the brine ingredients in a large plastic bag. Add the chickens and refrigerate for 24 hours.
2. Pre-heat the oven to 500 degrees F.
3. Boil water in a medium size pot and cook the onions for 3-4 minutes. Drain and cool in an ice bath. Squish the onions away from their skins, leaving them whole. Place the onions in a shallow roasting dish or casserole. Add the potatoes, garlic, lemon slices, olives, bay leaves, rosemary and thyme. Drizzle with EVOO; season with salt and pepper.
4. Place a cooling rack over baking dish.
5. Remove the chicken form brine and pat dry. Coat the skin with EVOO and season with pepper. Arrange the chicken over the top of the potatoes and place in the oven. Roast for 35 minutes at 500 degrees F., then lower the heat to 300 degrees F. and roast for about 20 - 30 minutes more, until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees F.
6. Turn off the oven and let chickens rest for 10 minutes. Remove and serve the half chickens with a lemon quarter to squeeze over top and the potatoes, garlic and olives alongside.