Chicken with Forty Cloves of Garlic

 

I have to admit...I LOVE CHICKEN AND I LOVE GARLIC! No, really...I really love chicken and garlic! When I first heard of the recipe of chicken with forty cloves of garlic, I was in love instantly. I mean, what is there not to like. The first time I made this recipe, a good friend (Mrs. Rachel Bunning Adams) and I were in the kitchen cooking, drinking wine, and having a great time with friends. I think that this recipe is great to make with friends and family and is really awesome. Besides, if everyone is eating garlic, then no one can complain about garlic breath...lol! This recipe is adapted from Ina Garten's infamous recipe and I hope that you enjoy!

 

 

 Begin with first peeling forty cloves of garlic. Yes, I actually peeled forty cloves of garlic. You can always buy peeled garlic gloves in your neighborhood market. Please scroll down for a good idea on how to peel a large quantity of garlic cloves.

    

  

 



Next, prep the usual cast of characters (garlic, onion, mushrooms) and wash and season the chicken. Ina Garten calls for using whole chickens in her recipe, but I substituted just chicken legs and thighs in my recipe. Although you may choose to use chicken breasts for this recipe, I would suggest trying boneless, skinless chicken thighs for a substitute. Chicken thighs have much more flavor and can hold up to a longer cooking time than breasts.

 

 

After seasoning the chicken, brown each piece in the oil. Try not to overcrowd your pan. If you overcrowd the pan, you will steam the chicken, instead of browning it. You may have to brown the chicken in separate batches to accomplish this. Please note that you are not cooking the chicken completely through, you are just browning the outside. Once you have finished browning the chicken, place aluminum foil over the chicken to keep it warm.

 

 

In the remaining oil in the bottom of the pan, saute the mushrooms, garlic cloves and onions. Once that is done, add the brandy and the wine and return the chicken to the pan. Throw in about 3 to 4 sprigs of fresh thyme and cover the pan. Place in a 350˚

oven and cook for an hour and a half. Follow further instructions on creating the sauce.

 

Forty Cloves of Chicken

(adapted from Ina Garten's recipe)

 

Prep Time: 35 to 40 minutes                                     Cook Time: 1 hour, 30 minutes

Difficulty: Intermediate                                               Yield: 4 to 6 servings

 

Ingredients

• 3 whole heads garlic, about 40 cloves
• 2 small packages of chicken drumsticks and thighs
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons good olive oil
• 1 package of whole white or baby bella mushrooms, stemmed and quartered
• 1 medium sized red onion, sliced
• 3 tablespoons brandy, divided
• 1 1/2 cups dry white wine
• 3 to 4 spigs of fresh thyme
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons heavy cream

Directions

Preheat oven to 350˚.

 

Separate the cloves of garlic and drop them into a pot of boiling water for 60 seconds. Drain the garlic and peel. Set aside.

Dry the chicken with paper towels. Season liberally with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat the butter and oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. In batches, saute the chicken in the fat, skin side down first, until nicely browned, about 3 to 5 minutes on each side. Turn with tongs or a spatula; you don't want to pierce the skin with a fork. If the fat is burning, turn the heat down to medium. When a batch is done, transfer it to a plate and continue to saute all the chicken in batches. Cover the browned chicken with aluminum foil to keep warm.

 

Add the onion and mushrooms to the pot and saute for 5 minutes until the onions are translucent and the mushrooms are browned. Add all of the garlic to the pot. Lower the heat and saute for 5 to 10 minutes, turning often, until evenly browned. Add 2 tablespoons of the brandy and the wine, return to a boil, and scrape the brown bits from the bottom of the pan.

 

Return the chicken to the pot with the juices and throw in the thyme sprigs. Cover and place the pan into a 350˚oven for about an hour and 30 minutes, until all the chicken is done.

Remove the chicken to a platter and cover with aluminum foil to keep warm. In a small bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup of the sauce and the flour and then whisk it back into the sauce in the pot. Raise the heat, add the remaining tablespoon of brandy and the cream, and boil for 3 minutes. Add salt and pepper, to taste; it should be very flavorful because chicken tends to be bland. Pour the sauce and the garlic over the chicken and serve hot. Enjoy!