Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic

CHICKEN WITH 40 CLOVES OF GARLIC

Ingredients:
3 whole heads garlic, about 40 cloves
2 (3 1/2 pound) chickens, cut into eighths [or just get one whole fryer chicken, 4 pounds feeds 4 people] ****I've since made this recipe again using a 6 pack of chicken thighs and a 6 pack of drumsticks (both with bone and skin), this is great if you like dark meat because it stays very tender, comes off the bone more easily, and fits in the pot better while cooking****
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbs unsalted butter
2 Tbs good olive oil
3 Tbs Cognac, divided
1 1/2 cups dry white wine
1 Tbs fresh thyme leaves
1 Tbs fresh rosemary
2 Tbs all-purpose flour
2 Tbs heavy cream

To prepare:
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 a plate...

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 Tbs 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 and rosemary 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. (An alternative to this is to leave out the flour and simply smash up the garlic in the pot, it will thicken the sauce and better disperse the garlic pieces. Even if you want the flour as a thickener, the garlic can still be smashed if you wish.)

Pour the sauce and the garlic over the chicken and serve hot.


To serve:
I prefer to leave the sauce on the side so it can be poured onto each plate as it is served. The sauce it essential though, it is the best part of the dish, don't be afraid of the garlic.

Serves 4.
Barefoot Contessa
Barefoot in Paris
Another version available at Williams-Sonoma.

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