Prep time 15 min cook time 20 min
This recipe is for garlic lovers. The highlight is how the garlic loses its pungency and mellows with gentle cooking. That mild, buttery and nutty flavor envelopes the succulent braised chicken.
The dish is rooted in Provençal cooking and is subject to many interpretations.
There is however no argument about the eating protocol. Like many Mediterranean dishes, there are decades old traditions to be followed. Here, you serve the dish with lots of freshly toasted baguette slices. Smear a slice with a garlic clove, take a bite of moist chicken, then a bite off the crusty garlic bread with the occasional dunking in the sauce and repeat!
A fresh green side salad completes the meal.
40 Garlic Clove Chicken
by
Derek Farwagi
Ingredients
- 4 Skinless, boneless thighs
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil
- 20-25 Peeled cloves of garlic (More if you making more than two portions and buy loose garlic with large plump cloves – young, pre-packed small garlic heads are difficult to separate and peel).
- ½ Cup Vermouth or white wine. (I always have both white and red vermouth handy. Once opened, vermouth lasts for months and at $10 a bottle it is cheaper than opening a bottle of wine just for a recipe).
- 1 ½ Cups Chicken broth ( make some broth with a quarter teaspoon of Better Than Bouillon organic chicken paste. It tastes great)
- 3-4 sprigs of fresh thyme (or 1-2 of fresh rosemary)
- 1 tsp Nutmeg
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Peel the garlic cloves keeping them whole. Here's how. (It doesn’t matter if some get a little crushed).
- Pat thighs dry and season with salt and pepper.
- Add 1 tbsp olive oil to a 10″ frying pan and on a low heat brown thighs undisturbed for about about 2 minutes. Turn over and cook undisturbed for another 2 minutes. Set aside on a plate.
- Add a little more oil to the pan and on a low heat, cook the garlic stirring frequently to evenly brown the cloves - about 3 -4 minutes.
- Add the vermouth (or white wine), thyme and nutmeg. Stir and simmer for a minute to burn off the alcohol. Add chicken and stock and simmer covered on a low heat for 10-15 minutes. Turn chicken half way through cooking. Check for doneness - chicken juices should run clear. If at any time the liquid dries up, add a little water or broth
- While the chicken is cooking, toast the baguette.
- Salt to taste, plate in a soup bowl and serve with a side salad of greens.
Nutrition
For another smooth and nutty garlic recipe see this
Garlic Soup
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