Remove the giblets, neck and liver from the chicken cavity and save for stock or something you like. Using paper towels pat dry the chicken really well, including the cavity. Place chicken in the refrigerator and allow it to air dry overnight.
Preheat your oven to 450”
Take chicken out of the refrigerator and let it rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. Pat it dry some more with paper towels including the cavity. If you have a roasting rack this is the time to use it.
Pour a lug of olive oil over the chicken and rub it all over. Sprinkle generously with the sea salt, including the cavity. Using your fingers insert a few cloves between the meat of the chicken and the skin. Reserve a few to stuff in the cavity together with the bay leaf and thyme. Sprinkle with the sweet paprika on top and rub it all over.
Tuck in the tips of the chicken wings underneath the bird. Using a knife make a 1 inch slit in the hanging fatty skin from the back, on both sides (where the legs are ).
Take each leg and pass it through the opposite side slit, crossing each other. This will eliminate the need to truss the chicken. Easy breezy simple clean.
Set your chicken on the roasting rack (in a roasting dish ) and cook in the preheated oven for about 1 hour, or until the internal temperature reaches 165” F, because that’s what FoodSafety.gov says you must do.
Meanwhile to make the arugula chimichurri sauce: process the parsley, arugula, olive oil, lime juice and garlic in the bowl of a small food processor until smooth. Adjust seasonings to your taste with the sea salt. Serve over the best garlic roasted chicken of your life.
