Chicken With 40 Cloves Of Garlic Cooks Country Recipes

CHICKEN WITH 40 CLOVES OF GARLIC

Steps:

• When I was young, this old French classic was still - though in a quiet way - very much in vogue. I dare say it was because the novelty of using so many garlic cloves had not worn off; it seemed somehow dangerously excessive. Even so, I don't think anyone would think it quite unremarkable now to put 40 cloves of garlic in a casserole. Certainly, if you peeled and chopped - let alone minced - the garlic, it would be inedible, but garlic cloves cooked encased in their skins grow sweet and caramelly as they cook, like savory bonbons in their sticky wrappers, rather than breathing out acrid heat. This is a cozy supper, not a caustic one.
• This dish entered my canon under someone else's auspices. A few years ago, for the fortieth birthday of a then-colleague and friend of mine, Nick Thorogood, his partner asked everyone to contribute something written expressly for purpose to be compiled in a fat tribute of a book. Since most of Nick's and my conversation dwells, with almost fetid passion, on food, it seemed only proper to write a recipe for him. And given that it was his fortieth birthday, this seemed the right recipe.
• It is not quite the classic version (not that there is only one: food is as variable as the people who cook it) but it sticks to the basic principles. Maybe because the white meat on chicken tends towards the utterly tasteless these days, I prefer to use not a whole chicken, but thigh portions only. Naturally, this wouldn't make sense if you were raising your own chickens, then slaughtering them for the pot, as was the custom when this recipe came into being (and very good it would have been, too, for adding oomph to an old bird) but if you're following the contemporary shopping model, it works very well. For some reason, I veer towards recipes that can easily be cooked in one of my wide and shallow cast-iron Dutch ovens and this fits the bill perfectly.
• By all means, add some steamed or boiled potatoes alongside if you wish, but I'd prefer, by far, a baguette or two to be torn up and dunked into the flavorsome juices; though don't rule out the option of sourdough toast, which is the perfect vehicle for spreading the sweet-cooked garlic onto. Otherwise, some green beans or baby peas or a plain green salad is all you need for a sure-fire salivation-inducing supper.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Heat the oil on the stovetop in a wide, shallow ovenproof and flameproof Dutch oven (that will ultimately fit all the chicken in one layer, and that has a lid), and sear the chicken over a high heat, skin-side down. This may take 2 batches, so transfer the browned pieces to a bowl as you go.
• Once the chicken pieces are seared, transfer them all to the bowl. Finely slice the scallions, put them into the Dutch oven and quickly stir-fry them with the leaves torn from a few sprigs of thyme.
• Put 20 of the unpeeled cloves of garlic (papery excess removed) into the pan, top with the chicken pieces skin-side up, then cover with the remaining 20 cloves of garlic. Add the vermouth (or white wine) to any oily, chickeny juices left in the bowl. Swish it around and pour this into the pan too. Sprinkle with the salt, grind over the pepper, and add a few more sprigs of thyme. Put on the lid and cook in the oven for 1 1/2 hours.
• Make Ahead Note: Chicken can be browned and casserole assembled 1 day ahead. Cover tightly and store in the refrigerator. Season with salt and pepper and warm the pan gently on the stovetop for 5 minutes before baking as directed in recipe.
• Making Leftovers Right: If I do have any chicken left over - and I don't think I've ever had more than 1 thigh portion - I take out the bone then and there and put the chicken in the refrigerator. Later (within a day or two), I make a garlicky soup, by removing the chicken, adding some chicken broth or water to the cold, jelled juices, placing it over a high heat and, when that's hot, shredding the chicken into it and heating it through thoroughly, till everything is piping hot. You can obviously add rice or pasta. Otherwise, mash any leftover garlic into the concentrated liquid (which will be solid when cold), chop up some leftover chicken, and put it all into a saucepan with some cream. Reheat gently until everything is piping hot, and use as a pasta sauce or serve with rice.

CHICKEN WITH 40 CLOVES OF GARLIC

Steps:

• Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Melt the butter with the olive oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the chicken to the Dutch oven and brown on all sides in the butter and oil, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove the chicken to a cutting board.
• Drain all but 2 tablespoons of liquid from the pan; stir the garlic cloves into the reserved liquid. Return the chicken to the pan; sprinkle the water, lemon juice, salt, thyme, and black pepper over the chicken; cover tightly.
• Bake the chicken in the preheated oven until no longer pink at the bone and the juices run clear, about 90 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh should read 180 degrees F (82 degrees C). Remove the chicken from the oven, cover with a doubled sheet of aluminum foil, and allow to rest in a warm area for 10 minutes before slicing.

CHICKEN WITH 40 CLOVES OF GARLIC

Steps:

• Put the oil in a shallow dish and add the chicken pieces; coat evenly with oil.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• In a heavy 6-quart casserole, combine the celery, onions, parsley and tarragon. Lay the oiled chicken pieces on top. Pour on the vermouth. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and a dash of nutmeg. Tuck the garlic cloves in and around the chicken pieces. Cover the casserole tightly with aluminum foil, then the lid. Bake 90 minutes without removing the lid.
• Serve chicken, pan juices and garlic cloves with French bread. Diners should squeeze the buds of garlic from their husks onto the bread, then spread the garlic like butter.

CHICKEN WITH 40 CLOVES OF GARLIC (COOK'S COUNTRY)

Steps:

• Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat oven to 450 degrees. Toss garlic in bowl with 1 teaspoon oil and sugar. Microwave garlic until slightly softened, with light brown spotting, about 4 minutes, stirring halfway through microwaving.
• Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Heat remaining 1 teaspoon oil in 12-inch ovensafe skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Place chicken in skillet, skin side down, and cook until skin is well browned, 7 to 10 minutes. Transfer to plate, skin side up. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon fat from skillet. Reduce heat to medium-low, add garlic, and cook until evenly browned, about 1 minute.
• Off heat, add sherry to skillet. Return skillet to medium heat and bring sherry to simmer, scraping up any browned bits. Cook until sherry coats garlic and pan is nearly dry, about 4 minutes. Stir in broth, cream, cornstarch mixture, thyme, and bay leaf and simmer until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Return chicken to skillet, skin side up, with any accumulated juices. Transfer skillet to oven and bake until chicken registers 175 degrees, 18 to 22 minutes.
• Transfer chicken and half of garlic to serving dish. Discard thyme and bay leaf. Using potato masher, mash remaining garlic into sauce, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour half of sauce around chicken. Serve, passing remaining sauce separately.

CHICKEN BAKED WITH 40 CLOVES OF GARLIC

Steps:

• Sealing Dough:.
• Add the water, flour, salt and olive oil in a bowl. Stir to form a paste. Use the dough on the casserole to seal.
• Chicken:.
• Preheat the oven to 375°F.
• Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Carefully add the chicken pieces. Cook the chicken until golden brown on all sides. Remove chicken from the oil onto a kitchen towel to absorb excess fat. Discard the oil.
• Place the seared chicken pieces in a casserole (one with a tight fitting lid) that holds the chicken pieces snugly. Add the rosemary, thyme, bay leaves, wine and garlic. Place the lid on the casserole and seal with the sealing dough. Transfer the casserole to the oven. Bake for 2 hours.
• Remove from the oven and let cool slightly. Crack the sealing dough to open the lid. Carefully remove the chicken onto 4 large dinner plates. Divide the garlic and cooking juices and serve.

CHICKEN WITH 40 CLOVES OF GARLIC

Steps:

• Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 400°F.
• Brine the chicken: Dissolve 1/4 cup salt in 2 quarts cold tap water in large container or bowl. Submerge chicken pieces in brine and refrigerate until fully seasoned, about 30 minutes. Rinse chicken pieces under running water and thoroughly pat dry with paper towels. Season both sides of chicken pieces with pepper.
• Meanwhile, toss garlic and shallots with 2 teaspoons olive oil and salt and pepper to taste in 9 inch pie plate; cover tightly with foil and roast until garlic is softened and beginning to brown, about 30 minutes. Shake pan once to toss the contents after 15 minutes (foil can be left on during tossing). Uncover, stir, and continue to roast, until browned and fully tender, about 10 minutes longer, stirring once or twice. Remove from oven and increase oven temperature to 450°F.
• Using kitchen twine, tie together thyme, rosemary, and bay leaf and set aside.
• Heat remaining 1 teaspoon oil in 12-inch heavy-bottomed ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat until it begins to smoke. Swirl to coat pan with oil. Brown chicken pieces skin-side down until deep golden, about 5 minutes. Turn chicken pieces and brown until golden on second side, about 4 minutes longer.
• Transfer chicken to large plate and discard fat. Off the heat add vermouth, chicken broth, and herbs, scraping bottom of skillet with wooden spoon to loosen browned bits.
• Set skillet over medium heat, add garlic and shallot mixture to pan, then return chicken, skin-side up to the pan, nestling pieces on top of and between the garlic cloves.
• Place skillet in oven and roast until instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of breast registers about 160 F about 10 to 12 minutes. If desired, increase heat to broil and broil to crisp skin about 3 to 5 minutes.
• Using potholders or oven mitts, remove skillet from oven and transfer the chicken to a serving dish. Set the skillet aside on the stovetop, reserving the liquid.
• Remove 10 to 12 garlic cloves and place in a mesh sieve and set aside. Using a slotted spoon, scatter the remaining garlic cloves and shallots around the chicken and the discard herbs.
• With a rubber spatula push reserved garlic cloves through the sieve and into a bowl. Discard the skins.
• Add the garlic paste to the remaining liquid in the skillet. Bring to a simmer over medium high heat, whisking occasionally to incorporate the garlic. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. Whisk in butter. Pour sauce into sauceboat and serve with the chicken.

CHICKEN WITH 40 GARLIC CLOVES

Steps:

• Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.
• Season the chicken with salt and pepper. In a wide Dutch oven (I used a cast-iron skillet for later transfer to oven) over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil. Working in batches, brown the chicken, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.
• Add the garlic to the pan and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat. Add the chicken, rosemary, thyme and lemon zest and stir to combine. Cover the pan, transfer to the oven and roast for 20 minutes. Baste the chicken with the accumulated juices. Continue roasting, uncovered, until the chicken is cooked through and the juices run clear when the meat is pierced with a knife, about 30 minutes more.
• Transfer the chicken to a platter; leave the garlic in the pan. Cover the chicken loosely with aluminum foil.
• Set the pan over medium heat and mash the garlic with the back of the spoon. Add the wine and cook for 3 minutes. Add the stock and cook, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Whisk in the butter a few pieces at a time. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer the sauce to a sauceboat. Serve the chicken immediately and pass the sauce alongside.
• (I made this a healthier version last night by adding the wine at the same time as the stock and just serving the dish with the whole garlic--minus the sauce and the butter at the end). It looked beautiful and was delicious.

" CHICKEN WITH 40 CLOVES OF GARLIC " CASSEROLE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
• Place the chicken pieces close together in a single layer in a shallow 9x13-inch baking dish. Distribute the peeled garlic cloves evenly over the chicken.
• Drizzle with the wine and olive oil. Distribute the celery on top of the chicken. Sprinkle with the basil, oregano, parsley, red pepper flakes, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
• Cover with aluminum foil coated with cooking spray and bake for 40 minutes. Uncover and bake for 15 minutes longer, or until the chicken is cooked through.