The title is simple here because I’m not messing around with this. I KNOW IT SOUNDS WEIRD but you’re gonna do it anyway because this sauce is sooo good, and sooo low maintenance, and only takes a couple ingredients. This is one of the ‘Genius Recipes‘ on Food52, but with extra seasoning because I’m.. seasoned. Add some kale and rice on the side for a dinner that comforting and elevated at the same time!

Scroll to the bottom to scale up (yum) or down (but why would you want to do this?)

Pro Tip: Stop buying things like cinnamon sticks, ground allspice, etc from the regular grocery store. 3 cinnamon sticks for 4 dollars? That’s a SCAM. 6.99 for a tiny thing of allspice? Do yourself a favor and find any grocery store that isn’t American – Indian market, Mexican market, an Arab market, whatever, and go buy yourself a big box of cinnamon sticks and a big bag of your faves, like allspice (or garam masala which can be used here), paprika, chili powder, cumin, peppercorns. Or even try Costco. It is WORTH IT to plan ahead.

Recipe

1. Preheat oven to 375 F. I used to not care about doing this because I was a child, but it really speeds things up. If at any point during prep you forget just turn the oven on. 
2. Your chicken should be at room temp! Season GENEROUSLY, on ALL sides AND ON THE INSIDE of the cavity of the chicken with salt, pepper, and allspice. The allspice is optional but to me, it made a big difference with the flavor profile because it warmed up to the sage and cinnamon beautifully.
3. Add olive oil or butter – you’re about to brown an entire chicken. Some recipes call for an entire stick – I used half. If you’re using butter, wait for the foam to subside before you throw in your ENTIRE CHICKEN!!
4. You want to brown all four sides and end with the chicken breast side up. Tongs are really crucial for this! I shouldn’t have to specify that but please use tongs to turn your hot browning chicken, thank you.
5. While the chicken is browning, smash and peel your garlic, take out your sage, and peel your lemons with a vegetable peeler so you have long strips of zest. Try not to get too much bitter pith. 
6. Drain your butter the best way you know how! Once the chicken is brown, you can take the whole thing out and slowly pour out the excess butter/oil, or you can do what my lazy behind did and snuggle a big spoon up against the chicken to hold it in the pot while you slowly drain out the butter.
7. Once the excess is drained, put your chicken back in, and throw in a bunch of whole garlic, a bunch of fresh sage, a handful of cinnamon sticks, your zest, the juice of one of the lemons and two cups (at least) of milk. For one chicken, I dump a little less than half of a gallon but I love the sauce so sometimes I add extra.
8. Leave it partially covered and stick into the oven for an hour and a half at LEAST. I left mine mostly uncovered as the recipe states, but I didn’t get enough sauce. As you all know, I like having…….. too much sauce. Baste when you remember.
9. You’ll know it’s done when you stick a fork into it and it falls right apart.

Serve this with rice or mashed potato and something green, because we eat veggies around here and also because that’s more things to put sauce on. I had it with my kale and it was delicious.

OKAY. You’re having a party! Time to scale up, say for two chickens:

• You can use a mega big roasting pan if you have one OR really cheaply (and for no clean up) buy disposable aluminum roasting pans from the grocery store.
• Brown the chickens as instructed, and then take them out and put them in the aluminum pan. It’s easier if you leave the aluminum pan on the rack and pull the rack out when you want to add each chicken. Then, add double the rest of your ingredients and cover tightly for aluminum foil. You’re gonna roast these for at LEAST two and a half hours to get that really tender texture you want.

Okay, you not trying to eat a whole chicken… never experienced that emotion.. time to scale down:

• Brown bone in, skin on chicken pieces skin side down until brown and beautiful, and then lay in a flat layer in a casserole dish and add half the ingredients. Cover tightly, bake for an hour and a half. Take the foil off in the last 15 minutes if you want to brown the top a little.