Garlic Herbed Chicken in a Clay Pot & Spinach-Parmesan Salad

This is an easy dinner you can put in the oven a few hours early and then sit back with a good book and relax while the delicious aroma permeates the air. I like to make wild rice and a salad with it. Our spinach in the garden is really coming up and so I made a Parmesan-Spinach salad to pair with the chicken.

Chicken:
3 1/2 to 4 pound whole chicken, washed and patted dry
5 cloves of garlic, put through a garlic press
2 TBS fresh thyme
2 TBS fresh sage
3/4 cup milk, I used almond milk
1 TBS olive oil

Soak the clay pot in water for 5 to 10 minutes before putting it in the oven. After it has soaked pour milk in the bottom of the clay pot, put the whole chicken in the milk then push the diced herbs and garlic (put through a press) under the chicken skin, save some garlic and herbs to sprinkle on the top of the chicken. Pour 1 TBS olive oil over the chicken, cover with clay lid and put in oven. Turn oven on to 375F*, and cook for about 2 hours.
*I do not preheat the oven, as the clay pot should heat up slowly.
* You may also put carrots, potatoes, and other vegetables in with the chicken.
In the last 3-5 minutes of cooking, turn oven on broil and brown the top of the chicken. Keep an eye on the chicken though! It cooks fast on broil.