Chicken with 40 cloves of garlic

Recipe: Chicken with 40 cloves of garlic

Ingredients

3 whole heads garlic, about 40 cloves
3 lbs bone in, skin on chicken breasts
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbs unsalted butter
2 Tbs good olive oil
3 Tbs brandy, divided
1 1/2 cups dry white wine
1 Tbs fresh thyme leaves
2 Tbs all-purpose flour
2 Tbs heavy cream

Instructions

Separate the cloves of garlic from the three heads and peel and set aside.

Dry the chicken breasts with paper towels and trim of excess fat. Season the chicken breasts liberally with salt and pepper on all sides.

In a large Dutch oven heat the butter and oil over medium-high heat. Working in batches, sauté the chicken, skin side down first, until nicely browned on all sides. Transfer the browned pieces to a plate and continue to sauté all the chicken in batches. When the chicken has all been browned add all of the garlic cloves to the same pot and lower the heat. Sauté the garlic for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring often and until they are evenly browned. Add only 2 tablespoons of brandy and the white wine to the browned garlic and bring to a boil, and scrape the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Return all the browned chicken to the pot with any juices that accumulated on the plate and sprinkle with the thyme leaves. Cover and simmer over the lowest heat for about 30 minutes, until all the chicken is done and registers 165 degrees F.

Transfer the cooked chicken to a serving platter and cover with aluminum foil to keep warm. In a small bowl, whisk together 1/2 cup of the sauce from the Dutch oven and 2 tablespoons of flour and then whisk it back into the sauce in the pot. Raise the heat, add the remaining tablespoon of brandy and the heavy cream, and boil for 3 minutes. Add salt and pepper to the sauce. Pour some of the sauce and the garlic cloves over the chicken and serve hot.

Recipe adapted from the Barefoot Contessa http://www.barefootcontessa.com/

Meal type: dinner

Print/Mail/PDF