Slow-Roasted Rosemary-and-Garlic Chicken
10 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbsps chopped fresh rosemary
1 (5- to 6-pound) roasting chicken
5 garlic cloves
4 (3-inch) rosemary sprigs
1/4 cup orange juice
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

(You'll need at least at 4-quart slow cooker to cook the whole bird. It also cooks nicely in the larger, oval-shaped cooker.)

Combine minced garlic and chopped rosemary. Remove and discard giblets and neck from chicken. Rinse chicken with cold water; pat dry. Trim excess fat. Starting at neck cavity, loosen skin from breast and drumsticks by inserting fingers, gently pushing between skin and meat. Rub garlic mixture under loosened skin over breast and drumsticks. Place 5 garlic cloves and rosemary sprigs into the body cavity. Place chicken, breast side down, in an electric slow cooker. Cover with lid; cook on high heat for 1 hour. Reduce heat setting to low; cook 7 hours. Remove chicken from slow cooker, reserving drippings. Discard skin from chicken.
Place a zip-top plastic bag inside a 2-cup glass measure. Pour drippings into bag; let stand 10 minutes (fat will rise to the top). Seal bag; carefully snip off 1 bottom corner of bag. Drain drippings into a small saucepan, stopping before fat layer reaches opening; discard fat. Add orange juice and vinegar to saucepan; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 10 minutes.

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 3 ounces chicken and 1/3 cup sauce)

CALORIES 175 (33% from fat); FAT 6.4g (sat 1.7g,mono 2.3g,poly 1.5g); PROTEIN 25g; CHOLESTEROL 76mg; CALCIUM 27mg; SODIUM 74mg; FIBER 0.2g; IRON 1.3mg; CARBOHYDRATE 3g

My notes: This recipe needed "something". We couldn't quite figure out what, though. I added salt and some cornstarch/water to the sauce to thicken it up a bit, but there was still something missing. The chicken fell right off the bone when I tried to take it out of the crock pot, very tender. The trick with the drippings was a great way to separate the fat off without using a special gadget or having to wait for it to solidify in the frig. I found a similar recipe here that I think I'd try next time instead, since neither of us are big fans of dark meat.