Monday Musings
Posted May 13, 2013
Yep that’s right, 40 cloves. That’s two or in some cases, three entire heads of garlic. Sounds lovely doesn’t it? Well what if I told you that those 40 cloves of garlic are baked under chicken with white wine, chicken stock, rosemary and thyme until they are tender and sweet. Then if that wasn’t enough a little half in half is tossed in at the end to make a deliciously creamy garlic sauce perfect for pouring over chicken.
As a garlic lover, I have tried and failed to make this dish on many occasions. One disastrous attempt involved me cooking rice in the dish. When I removed the lid from the top I was surprised to see that there was absolutely no whole garlic cloves left. Each and every clove had dissolved and cooked into the rice. Although the garlic flavor was incredibly overwhelming we ate it anyway. And anyone who eats a lot of garlic knows that if you eat way too much, sometimes you start to smell like it. Well, later on that night, I realized that I had eaten too much garlic when our dog Pumpkin, who usually loves burrowing and sleeping under the covers next to Ryan and I, hung her head outside the blankets for a little while before giving up, jumping out of our bed and booking it to hers. After seeing that, I decided it was back to the drawing bored.
That was a few attempts ago, and now I have finally perfected it. Sure there is still 40 cloves of garlic, after all it is 40 clove chicken, but the whole gloves remain intact providing a sweet garlicky taste that is not too over powering.
One last note. Most 40 clove chicken recipes call for a whole chicken but I find that the cooking time required makes the chicken breasts dry out just a bit yet the drumsticks and thighs remain tender. So instead of using a whole chicken, I use drumsticks and thighs resulting in a succulent bite each and every time.
40 Clove Chicken Recipe
Be still my heart. Chicken baked with 40 cloves of garlic, white wine, thyme, rosemary and a little half and half.
Serves 4
Prep time:
Cook time:
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper
- 4 chicken drumsticks
- 4 chicken thighs
- 40 cloves garlic, peeled
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 1/4 cup chicken stock
- 1/4 cup dry white wine
- 1/4 cup half and half
- chopped fresh parsley
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Heat olive oil in a large dutch oven or other oven proof pot over medium heat. Season both sides of chicken with salt and pepper. In batches, cook chicken until browned. About 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a separate platter. Set aside.
- Reserve 2 tablespoons of pan drippings, add in garlic, thyme and rosemary. Cook until garlic browns slightly, stirring often, about 2 minutes.
- Return chicken to pan, pour chicken stock and wine over the top. Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Remove lid and bake an additional 10 minutes. If you would like the chicken skin crispier turn on the broiler for a couple of minutes.
- Remove chicken from oven. Transfer chicken to a serving platter and cover to keep warm. Place dutch oven back on the stove and turn heat to medium. Bring to a boil. Stir 1 tablespoon of hot pan drippings into the half and half to temper it. Reduce heat and slowly whisk tempered half in half into sauce. Cook 3 - 5 minutes or until sauce thickens slightly. Spoon sauce over chicken, sprinkle with parsley and serve.
Now, while I don't advise cooking rice in the dish, it is certainly a wonderful accompaniment. And in case you are wondering, the night we had this, Pumpkin stayed curled up and comfortable in our bed all night. Enjoy!
Responses to "40 Clove Chicken"
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- Sook @ My Fabulous Recipes
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