Forty-Clove Garlic Chicken
added 03/07/08
Serves 8
Some people may find it hard to believe that anything made with 40 cloves of garlic would be edible, but this dish is delicious and delicately flavored. The long, slow cooking tames the garlic while preserving its flavor. Because the dish is fairly juicy when done, it goes well served over cooked millet or barley and/or with a whole wheat French bread to mop up the juices and to act as a foil for the garlic.
8 chicken legs and thighs, skinned and separated
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 large onion, coarsely chopped (1 cup)
4 ribs celery, sliced into _-inch pieces
2 Tbs. minced fresh parsley or 2 tsp. dried parsley flakes
1 tsp. dried tarragon
1/2cup dry vermouth
1/2tsp. salt, if desired
_ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
Dash nutmeg
40 cloves garlic, separated but not peeled
Heat oven to 325ºF. Brush the chicken pieces on all sides with the oil. In a large casserole or heavy Dutch oven (5 to 6 quarts), combine the onions, celery, parsley, and tarragon. Lay the chicken pieces over the vegetables and herbs and pour the vermouth over the chicken. Sprinkle the chicken with salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Distribute the unpeeled garlic cloves throughout the casserole, tucking them under the chicken pieces. Cover the casserole tightly (you might fit a piece of foil around the top under the lid).
Bake the chicken for 11/2hours. Do not uncover the casserole until after this time has elapsed. Serve the chicken with the garlic, advising the diners to squeeze the garlic flesh from its papery coat. The garlic is especially tasty when eaten on crusty bread.
—Jane Brody’s Good Food Book
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