Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic is a baked chicken recipe, with 40 cloves of garlic, white wine, thyme, rosemary and a little cream. This easy dinner comes together in less than an hour! Be still my heart.
Yep that’s right, 40 cloves of garlic. That’s two, or in some cases, three entire heads of garlic. Sounds lovely doesn’t it? But that’s not all. This recipe also has chicken, white wine, chicken stock and herbs. To top it off, a splash of cream is added at the end. All of this makes a deliciously creamy garlic sauce, perfect for pouring over chicken.
As a garlic lover, I wanted to try Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic ever since I first read about it in The Garlic Lover’s Cookbook. It was a birthday present when I was 17.
My garlic love runs deep, friends.
Over the years, I have tried and failed to make 40 clove garlic on many occasions. One disastrous attempt involved me cooking rice in the dish, removing the lid and finding all of the cloves dissolved. That’s right, 40 cloves dissolved into the rice. We ate it anyway, but man oh man was the garlic taste overwhelming. We probably could’ve scared vampires away for several days after eating it.
But, not one to give up, I kept at it. Finally, after a few tries, I am happy to say that I have perfected the 40 clove chicken recipe.
Unlike my first attempt, the garlic cloves remain mostly intact in this recipe. This provides a sweet, garlicky taste that is not too over powering. But garlicky enough to please even the most devout of garlic lovers.
If you are looking for side dishes to serve along side your Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic, rosemary mashed potatoes and a healthy salad or steamed veggies are all excellent choices.
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 heavy cream to temper it. Reduce heat and slowly whisk tempered heavy cream into sauce. Cook 3 - 5 minutes or until sauce thickens slightly. Spoon sauce over chicken, sprinkle with parsley and serve.
Enjoy!
kristan
October 29, 2012 at 8:59 pmSounds amazing! What is your secret for peeling garlic, it takes me forever to peel just a few and my hands smell for days! Also, what can I substitute for half and half as we have milk allergies in the family! Can’t wait to try!
Deseree
October 30, 2012 at 9:45 pmHey Kristan! I don’t have a huge secret when it comes to peeling garlic, I just smash the garlic with the knife and it peels a little easier. You could try doing it with thing gloves on that way it would keep your hands from smelling like garlic. I’m weird I like the smell ;) As far as the dairy thing goes you could substitute plain Silk creamer. Or a little coconut milk. Hope you enjoy it!
Jen
February 10, 2010 at 1:45 pmThis was absolutely delish!!!!! I made it last weekend and could not believe how yummy it was. I served mine over a bed of mashed potatoes (cooked with chicken broth and with sauteed onions mixed in) and baked yellow squash with Parmesan and olive oil on the side. My husband and son were two happy campers and I will be making this again for sure!
Lesley
January 22, 2010 at 2:46 amRegarding the breasts drying out, there is a solution. Cook the chicken breast side down. I’ve been doing this with my turkeys for years. The breast stays beautifully moist. It’s not quite as perky if you’re carving at the table but who cares as long as it tastes good?
Deseree
January 21, 2010 at 7:25 amThanks everyone! Its nice to see so many other garlic lovers out there :) Wendy – You could certainly use a whole chicken, most 40 clove chicken recipes actually call for a whole chicken, I just prefer the drumsticks and thighs. Let me know how it turns out in the crock pot, I’ve never tried that before.
Sook @ My Fabulous Recipes
January 20, 2010 at 5:24 pmWow garlic is my favorite basic ingredient. I put them in everything, seriously. If a recipe calls for 2 cloves garlic, I use 4. :) This looks simply delicious!
Jessie
January 20, 2010 at 10:35 amwow that is a lot of garlic but can’t go wrong with that since garlic is practically good for you. The chicken alone looks yummy
Kitchen Monki Dan
January 20, 2010 at 9:03 amnothing wrong with a little bit.. er, a lot of garlic! health benefits aplenty: great for the immune system, wards off colds/flu… vampires :)
Wendy (The Local Cook)
January 20, 2010 at 8:38 amI keep hearing about 40 clove chicken, your version sounds delish! I wonder if I could use a whole chicken if I do it in a crock pot? I have no patience for baking whole chickens either, but I do like the flavor better.