Polish Chicken

Agatha is one of my best friends from college. We're nearly siblings at this point. During my junior and senior years at NYU, she'd invite my roommate Joe and I over for dinner, presenting us with mind-blowing fabulous Polish meals. We'd drink wine and talk for hours and hours, living the good life. It's impossible to describe correctly, but Agatha has the uncanny ability to cook "like mom." I don't mean MY mom or YOUR mom. Rather, Agatha's food tastes like love. That may sound cheesy, but it's a secret ingredient that every food-lover knows well. It's the taste of home. Here's one of her recipes, passed down from her mother. I can try making this a dozen times, but it will never ever taste as delicious as when Agatha makes it.

--1 whole Chicken, washed and patted dry
--4-5 cloves of Garlic, cut in 2-3 long pieces
--Any Fresh or Dried Herbs on hand (thyme, rosemary, etc)
--1 large Onion, sliced (any variety works)
--New Potatoes or Sweet Potatoes, boiled till they are half cooked and slightly soft
--Lots of Prunes, dried and pitted
--2 Apples, quartered (Macintosh are awesome, just avoid green or red delicious)
--Olive Oil
--White Wine

Preheat oven to 425 Fahrenheit. Cut small but deep slices into the chicken legs and breasts, 1 or 2 slices per section. Take pieces of garlic and stuff them into the holes you just made. Rub the inside of the chicken with herbs and stuff with sprigs of herbs, onion, potatoes, apples and prunes. Place chicken into a roasting pan and surround it with the rest of the fruits and vegetables. Drizzle olive oil over the top and sprinkle with more herbs. Salt and pepper generously. Add a small amount of white wine (or water) to the roasting pan. Cover with aluminum foil or a lid. Place in oven for 30-45 min until things start sizzling and cooking, basting the chicken with the juices. Once the chicken is about half cooked and the veggies are mushy, uncover the bird and let it roast until done.