Chicken with pastis and garlic

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 2 chickens, fresh, ready to roast
• Salt
• Pepper, freshly ground
• 2 sprigs rosemary
• 2 sprigs of thyme
• 4 bay leaves
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp fennel seeds
• Pastis (anise schnapps), amount according to taste
• Garlic (up to 1 bulb, depending on your taste)
• 750 g potatoes, small
• butter

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Total time approx. 30 minutes

(Poulet au Pastis et à l`ail)

Preheat oven to 200 degrees Celsius (400 degrees Fahrenheit). Season the chicken inside with salt and pepper. Place the rosemary, thyme, and bay leaves inside the belly. Brown the chicken in an ovenproof pot/roasting pan, seasoning with salt and pepper. Sprinkle fennel seeds over the chicken and pour in anise schnapps, up to 100 ml (4 fl oz) if desired. Arrange garlic cloves and potatoes (peeled or unpeeled) around the chicken. Cover and place in the preheated oven; cook for 50 to 100 minutes, depending on the size, uncovered for the last 15 minutes so the skin still takes on color. Pour the sauce into a small saucepan, skim off the fat, and measure the remaining stock. For 100 cc of stock, use 100 grams of ice-cold butter to thicken it. Heat the stock in a saucepan, gradually adding the butter in small pieces. Add a small splash of pastis, if desired. Serve the chicken with the potatoes and sauce.