Chicken Braised With 40 Cloves Of Garlic Recipes

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.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Season chicken with salt and pepper. Toss with a 2 tablespoons olive oil and brown on both sides in a wide fry pan or skillet over high heat. Remove from heat, add oil, thyme, and garlic cloves. Cover and bake for 1 1/2 hours.
• Remove chicken from the oven, let rest for 5 to 10 minutes, carve, and serve.

Steps:

• 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. Remove the last chicken to the plate and 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 Cognac 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 sprinkle with the thyme leaves. Cover and simmer over the lowest heat for about 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 Cognac 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.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Cut the top third off 2 heads of garlic, exposing the tops of the garlic cloves. Put each head on a piece of aluminum foil. Drizzle each with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Wrap tightly and roast until the cloves are golden brown and very soft, about 45 minutes. Let cool slightly. Leave the oven on.
• Unwrap the roasted garlic and pour any garlic-flavored oil from the foil into a small bowl. Squeeze the roasted cloves into the same bowl, discarding the papery shells. Mash with a fork until smooth; set aside.
• Peel and trim the remaining head of garlic. Thinly slice 5 cloves. Heat about 1/2 inch vegetable oil in a small skillet over medium heat, then add 1 slice of garlic. Cook until the garlic is at a lively sizzle, then sprinkle in the rest of the sliced garlic. Cook, stirring, until the garlic is just golden and crisp (don't overcook or it will be bitter), about 1 minute. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with salt. Set aside.
• Sprinkle the chicken generously with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the chicken in 2 batches skin-side down and cook, flipping once, until golden brown on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate.
• Discard the oil and return the Dutch oven to medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons of butter and the remaining garlic cloves and cook until the garlic is light golden, about 3 minutes. Add the wine and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom. Cook until the wine is reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Stir in the chicken broth, lemon juice, thyme and half of the reserved garlic paste. Bring to a boil.
• Use a fork to mash together the flour and remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a small bowl until smooth. Whisk the butter-flour mixture into the Dutch oven until dissolved. Cook until thickened, about 1 minute. Nestle in the chicken skin-side up along with any collected juices from the plate. Cover and bake until the chicken is cooked through, about 25 minutes.
• Meanwhile, add the Parmesan, parsley and remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil to the remaining garlic paste. Stir to combine and season with salt and pepper.
• Put the bread halves on a baking sheet and spread with the garlic mixture. When the chicken has 10 minutes left, add the bread to the oven and bake until toasted, about 10 minutes.
• Cut the bread into pieces. Top the chicken with the reserved garlic chips and chopped parsley.

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.

Steps:

• Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil. Separate head of garlic into individual cloves. Add to boiling water and cook 1 1/2 minutes, or until skin peels off easily. Drain and rinse briefly under cold running water. Peel garlic cloves. Trim any pieces of fat or extra skin from chicken; rinse pieces and pat dry. Season liberally with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken, skin side down, and saute until skin is nicely browned, 8 to 10 minutes. Carefully holding lid against pan, pour off all but a thin film of fat. Turn chicken over and sprinkle onion between pieces. Cover and cook 5 minutes. Pour in wine and bring to a boil, stirring with a wooden spoon to scrape up any brown bits on bottom or around sides of pan. Boil until wine is reduced to 2 or 3 tablespoons, about 2 minutes. Scatter garlic around chicken, season with thyme and pour broth into pan. Cover, bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer 25 minutes, or until chicken is very tender. Remove chicken and half of garlic cloves to a deep platter or serving dish. Skim fat off sauce in pan. Pour sauce into a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. If sauce is too liquid, pour into a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Dissolve cornstarch in 1 tablespoon cold water and stir into sauce. Cook, stirring, 1 minute, until slightly thickened. Season sauce with additional salt and pepper to taste. Pour over chicken and serve.

Steps:

• Trim excess fat off chicken. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Lightly smash garlic cloves just to flatten slightly, leaving peel attached and cloves as whole as possible.
• Heat 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Working in 2 batches, add chicken and cook until brown on all sides, about 12 minutes per batch. Transfer chicken to plate. Add remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and garlic to pot. Stir until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Add wine and thyme; bring to boil. Return chicken to pot. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and simmer until chicken is cooked through, moving chicken pieces from top to bottom every 5 minutes (sauce will not cover chicken), about 20 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Transfer chicken to platter. Spoon garlic cloves around chicken and drizzle sauce over.

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.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
• Place all the ingredients in a deep, heavy pot that can be covered.
• Combine everything very well with your hands.
• Seal the pot very tightly with foil.
• Place a cover over the foil.
• Pot must be very well sealed so that no juices or steam can escape.
• Bake for 1 1/2 hours.
• Do not open the pot during this time.
• Serve piping hot, with good crusty bread for mopping up the juices and garlic.
• Open the pot at the table, so that the diners may get the full benefit of the marvelous fragrance that explodes out of the vessel.