Ingredients :

• Whole chicken — Get a chicken between 1,5 kg and 2 kg. Too small, and it will overcook before developing flavor. Too large, and it might not fit comfortably in the pot. A free-range chicken will be better—the meat is firmer and tastier—but a standard chicken works great too.
• Salt — Fine salt or crushed coarse salt, it doesn’t matter. The important thing is to use enough—chicken skin is thick and it absorbs salt. Be generous on the fleshy parts: breast, thighs, and inside the cavity.
• Garlic powder — Garlic powder holds up better to long cooking than fresh garlic, which can become acrid or caramelize strangely after 7 hours. If you still want fresh garlic, slip 3-4 whole unpeeled cloves inside the cavity rather than putting them on the surface.
• Black pepper — Freshly ground or pre-ground, both work. Freshly ground pepper has a bit more bite, but after this cooking time, the difference is subtle. Don’t stress over it.