Garlic Confit:
6 large garlic cloves, peeled
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Chicken:
1 whole chicken (about 3 pounds)
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper
1/2 cup canola oil (or 1/4 cup if you brown the chicken in one pan)
Pan Sauce:
2 cups Chicken Stock
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves cut into very thin strips
Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
For the Garlic Confit: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Cut two 12-inch squares of aluminum foil and lay one pice on top of the other. Place the garlic cloves on the foil. Sprinkle with the sugar, salt, and pepper. Pour the olive oil over the garlic cloves. Shape the foil into a pouch by bringing the edges of the foil together over the garlic and sealing them. Flatten the bottom of the pouch so it will stay upright in the oven and place it on a baking sheet. Roast the garlic for about 30 minutes, until the cloves are very soft but not falling apart. Set the garlic aside in the pouch. Leave the oven on.
For the Chicken: Using kitchen shears, cut down along both sides of the backbone, then clip it out. Cut the wings off at the first joint. Split the chicken in half. Use paper towels to dry the skin. Season both sides of the chicken with salt and pepper. Place the chicken in a baking dish and let it sit at room temperature for 20 minutes.
Place two 12-inch cast-iron skillets over high heat. When the skillets smoke, add 1/4 up of the canola oil to each. (I fit the chicken into 1 skillet with 1/4 cup oil.) As soon as the oil smokes, carefully add a half chicken to each skillet, skin side down. (Or add to one skillet if they both fit). Weight the chicken halves with another heavy skillet or pan so it stays flat and browns evenly. Cook the chicken, with the weights on it, until the skin is crispy and evenly browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove the weights.
Flip the chicken over, and place the skillet or skillets into the oven. Roast the chicken for about 20 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reads 155 degrees F. Place the chicken on plates to rest while you make the sauce.
For the Pan Sauce: Combine the roasting juices and fats from both skillets into one; set aside. Place the other skillet or a saucepan if you used just one skillet on the stove over medium heat. Pour 1 cup of the chicken stock into the skillet or saucepan and stir. Bring to a gentle boil and cook to reduce by half, about 5 minutes. Add the remaining cup of stock and set aside.
Place the skillet with the roasting juices over medium heat. Sprinkle the flour evenly over the juices and gently whisk it in until there are no lumps. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly with the whisk; do not let the roux get too dark around the edge. Whisk in the the chicken stock, making sure to fully emulsify it. Increase the heat to high and bring the sauce to a simmer, then reduce the heat to medium-high and reduce the sauce until it coats the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes. Add the parsley, lemon zest and juice, and 2 tablespoons of the garlic oil from the pouch of garlic and whisk to combine.
To Complete; Place the garlic and pan sauce over the chicken and enjoy.