Chicken With Lots Of Garlic Food

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 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.

ROAST CHICKEN LEGS WITH LOTS OF GARLIC

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325°F. Place chicken in an 13x9" baking dish and season generously all over with salt. Add garlic, lemon, chile, bay leaves, and a few grinds of pepper. Pour in oil and toss everything to coat. Turn garlic heads cut side down so they are in contact with the baking dish (this will help them brown).
• Roast chicken, rotating pan once, until meat is almost falling off the bone, 75-90 minutes. Let chicken cool in pan 10 minutes, then serve with bread.

CHICKEN WITH LOTS OF GARLIC

Steps:

• Pat chicken dry and sprinkle with pepper and 3/4 teaspoon salt. Dredge chicken in flour, shaking off excess.
• Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Brown chicken in 2 batches, turning over once, about 5 minutes total per batch. Transfer to a plate.
• Add garlic to skillet and cook, stirring, until just golden, about 2 minutes. Add wine and boil 1 minute. Add broth, then cover skillet and simmer until garlic is tender, about 15 minutes. Return chicken, skin side up, to skillet and simmer, covered, until just cooked through, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer chicken to a platter. Mash 8 garlic cloves into sauce and season with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Sprinkle with parsley. Spoon sauce and garlic over chicken.

CHICKEN AND GARLIC

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Fry chicken pieces in the hot oil until browned on all sides. Add the garlic, and continue to cook until the chicken is no longer pink in the middle. Stir in the cilantro and lime juice, and season with salt and pepper. Cook just until heated through. Serve with rice.

CHICKEN WITH 20 CLOVES OF GARLIC

Steps:

• Pour olive oil into blender and add red wine vinegar, garlic, thyme, rosemary, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Blend until garlic marinade is smooth and creamy.
• Cut several deep slashes into the meat of each chicken piece using a sharp knife. Place chicken into a large bowl, pour marinade over chicken, and stir to get marinade into the cuts and all over the chicken. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Lightly grease the foil with 1 teaspoon olive oil.
• Arrange chicken pieces onto the prepared baking sheet and season both sides of chicken with salt and black pepper.
• Bake in the preheated oven until an instant-read meat thermometer inserted into the thickest piece of chicken reads 160 degrees F (70 degrees C), 40 to 45 minutes. Top with chopped Italian parsley.

CHICKEN WITH LOTS OF GARLIC

Steps:

• Remove the fat from just inside cavity, and rub chicken with a little salt.
• Pop bay leaf inside.
• Heat oil in large casserole dish, add garlic, herbs, celery, red pepper and freshly ground pepper, cook for 5 minutes.
• Add wine and chicken stock, bring to boil and simmer for 3 minutes.
• Add chicken, turning to coat in sauce, cover with a tight fitting lid, and seal edges with a flour and water paste.
• Bake at 180C (350F) for 1 hour.
• Break seal and transfer to a warm platter.
• Grill bread, and serve with chicken so that garlic can be squeezed onto toast and dipped into the juices.

CHICKEN WITH TWENTY CLOVES OF GARLIC

Steps:

• Cook chicken and garlic in large nonstick skillet on medium-high heat 4 min., turning chicken after 2 min.
• Add combined broth and dressing; cover. Cook 3 to 5 min. on each side or until chicken is done (165ºF).
• Sprinkle with cheese; cover. Remove from heat. Let stand 1 min.