Slow Cooked Chives and Rosemary Chicken in Red Wine

(Scroll down for Liver Sauteed in Olive Oil with Bay Leaves and Garlic Recipe)
There is something especially lovely about the smell of wine cooking.  I planned to use a white wine for this recipe, but due to my general laziness and a need to get the chicken in the oven before it was too late in the afternoon I opted for a nice red wine I had in the house.  Cooking a whole chicken in a clay pot takes at least 2 hours.  Depending on its size it can take 2-4 hours.  I usually like to give it 2.5 to 3 hours.  To get back to the wine, I was very pleasantly surprised by the results of the red wine and chicken in the clay pot.  It was wonderful!  This may be my favorite chicken-in-a-clay-pot recipe yet. The recipe is easy and has a minimum of ingredients (which I am very fond of) and uses in season  chives.
Slow Cooked Chives and Rosemary Chicken in Red Wine
Serves 4 adults

1 whole chicken
1/3 to 1/2 bottle of merlot or cabernet red wine
2 cups chopped fresh chives
5-8 fresh cloves of garlic
4 Rosemary sprigs (see picture below)
salt and pepper to taste
4 carrots
2-4 small potatoes

Prepare your clay pot by soaking it in water for 10 minutes.  Wash and dry the chicken and place it in clay pot.  Chop the chives in approximately 1/2 inch pieces.  Peel garlic cloves.  Stuff the chopped chives, whole garlic cloves, and a few rosemary sprigs under the chicken's skin right on the breasts.  That way the chives and garlic will flavor the meat directly and cook under the skin.  Salt and pepper the chicken.

 pictured: chopped chives and fresh young rosemary sprigs

Sprinkle remaining chives on top of the chicken skin.  Also put remaining rosemary sprigs around and on top of chicken in clay pot.  Pour 1/3 to 1/2 of a bottle of red wine in the clay pot, being careful to not wash the chives off the chicken.  Place washed potatoes and whole carrots in clay pot next to chicken or where ever it fits in the clay pot.  As long as you can fit the lid on then you are good to go!

Set oven on 350 F Bake and put clay pot chicken in.  Cook for 2-4 hours.  If you cook for 4 hours you may want to wait to add the carrots and potatoes as they will be over done.  The carrots and potatoes really only need1.5 to 2 hours. 

Pictured: chicken, just out of the oven with potatoes and carrots.

Serve with salad and red wine.

Liver Sauteed in Olive Oil with Bay Leaves and Garlic
I cooked the liver separately in a cast iron pan with olive oil, bay leaves, salt and garlic cloves.  It was delicious, even my 2 year old liked it!