Chicken baked with lemon and garlic

Ingredients:

• 1 (2.3-2.7 kg) roasting chicken
• 1 large bunch of fresh thyme
• 4 lemons
• 3 heads of garlic, halved horizontally
• 2 tbsp (30 g) butter, melted
• 230 g bacon slices
• 1 cup white wine
• 0.5 cup chicken broth

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 220°C.
2. Remove the chicken giblets. Rinse the chicken inside and out. Trim off any excess fat and any remaining feather stumps and pat the chicken dry. Place it in a large baking dish. Generously season the chicken giblets with salt and pepper. Stuff it with thyme (reserving enough for garnish), 1 lemon, halved, and 2 garlic halves. Brush the outside of the chicken with butter and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Tie the chicken legs together with kitchen twine and tuck the wing tips under the chicken. Cut 2 lemons into quarters and scatter the lemon quarters and remaining garlic around the chicken. Place the bacon slices on top of the chicken, covering it.
3. Bake the chicken for 1 hour. Remove the bacon slices from the chicken. Continue baking for another 1/2 hour, or until the juices run clear when you cut the chicken between the thigh and leg. Transfer to a platter and cover with foil while you prepare the gravy.
4. Drain the fat from the bottom of the pan, reserving only 2 tablespoons. Add the wine and chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 5 minutes, or until half the liquid has evaporated.
5. Cut the chicken into pieces. Garnish with bacon slices, roasted garlic, reserved thyme, and lemon wedges. Serve with the gravy.