I don’t know about you but on a cold winter day all I want is comfort food. Chicken with forty cloves of garlic just screams comfort to me. The best part is it doesn’t take hours to prepare. This classic French country dish is perfect for a weeknight dinner or a elegant dinner party, giving you time to spend with your guests.
Now you are probably thinking that forty cloves of garlic is a bit much, and that this dish is going to be overly garlicky, but because of the way it is cooked, the garlic just becomes buttery and sweet. When this dish is done the garlic will be soft enough to spread on crusty bread, just like when you roast garlic in its jacket ( skins ).
You could use different cuts of chicken for this dish. I have seen it done with drumsticks, thighs, boneless thighs and even a whole chicken cut up, but my preference is thighs with skin and bones included. I find that this cut works best with this dish, but the choice is yours. Just keep in mind that the crispy skin of this dish adds loads of flavor.
Speaking of crispy skin, there are steps that you need to take to achieve that. One thing that is very important is to have dry chicken. I pat the chicken down with some paper towel to absorb the moisture. Second, you want to make sure your Dutch oven is very hot. You definitely want to hear the sizzle once you place the chicken in it. Third, don’t touch it until its time to turn it, which will be when the skin is nice and browned and easily pulled away from the bottom of the pan.
Now no one wants to sit there and peel forty cloves of garlic. It’s quite tedious. Most grocery stores sell garlic in a container pre peeled. It is usually in the refrigerated section of the produce department. I do this even when I don’t need forty cloves. I just store in the freezer and thaw when needed. It saves a ton of time and then my hands don’t smell like garlic.
The last thing I will suggest is, fresh herbs, also in the refrigerated section of the produce department. For this, fresh is best.
Chicken With Forty Cloves Of Garlic:
Ingredients:
- 1 Package chicken thighs, bone in skin on.
- 1Tablespoons olive oil
- 40 Cloves of garlic peeled
- 1 Tablespoon fresh rosemary minced
- 1 Tablespoon fresh thyme minced
- Zest of 2 lemons
- 1/3 Cup white wine
- 3/4 Cup chicken stock
- 2 Tablespoons butter cut into small pieces.
- Salt and Pepper
Directions:
- Pre heat oven to 375º.
- Pat chicken down with a paper towel to remove all moisture. Season both sides with salt and pepper.
- Place a large Dutch oven over medium high heat, coat with olive oil. Working in batches, place chicken skin side down into hot pan for 3 to 4 minutes or until browned and can be easily removed from pan. Flip chicken and repeat on other side. Transfer to plate and repeat with remaining chicken.
- Add garlic to pan stirring occasionally as to not let it burn, for about 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat and return chicken to pot along with rosemary, thyme and lemon zest. Stir slightly to combine.
- Cover pan and transfer to oven and roast for 20 minutes. Uncover and baste chicken with pan juices. Continue roasting uncovered for 30 minutes or until chicken is done.
- Transfer chicken to a platter leaving the garlic and juices in the pan. Cover chicken loosely with foil. Place pan over medium high heat. With a fork, mash the garlic until it resembles a paste. To the garlic add the wine and cook 3 minutes. Add the chicken stock and continue cooking for 4 to 5 minutes. Whisk in pieces of butter a few at a time until melted. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve family style on a platter or serve individually resting on fluffy mashed potatoes.
- Enjoy