I put 40 cloves of garlic in my chicken…and you will too!
How to Make Garlic Chicken (Poulet aux Quarante Gousses d’Ail)
Boil Garlic: Bring 2 cups of water to a boil then separate the garlic cloves and add them to the water. Boil for 1 minute, drain water, and peel garlic.Brown chicken and cook: Sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides of chicken then add to a very hot pan with butter and oil. Cook until the skin is golden brown. Spread the garlic cloves around chicken and add thyme and bay leaf. Cover and cook over medium low for 15-20 minutes, or until chicken is cooked.
Make sauce: Place chicken on a plate and cover to keep warm. Pour wine into skillet then cook until liquid has been reduced by half. Whisk cornstarch into chicken stock then add to pan, cooking until sauce has slightly thickened. Add remaining 2 tablespoons of butter then taste sauce and add more salt and pepper if needed.
Serve: Remove chicken to a serving platter and pour sauce over chicken. Spread the sweet cooked garlic cloves on top of a baguette or piece of crusty bread.
40 Clove Garlic Chicken
Serves 4- 4 tablespoons butter , divided
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 6 or 8 chicken thighs*
- salt and pepper
- 3 heads garlic
- 6 sprigs fresh thyme, or 1/2 teaspoon, dried
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/2 cup white wine*
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 3 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 Crusty bread baguette, for serving
Prep chicken: Pat the chicken pieces dry with paper towels and season well with salt and pepper on both sides. Heat a very large deep (preferably cast iron) pan or skillet over medium heat. Add 2 tablespoons butter and oil until hot.
Sear chicken: Add chicken, skin side down and cook for 5 minutes, until the skin is golden brown. Flip and cook on the other side for 3 minutes.
Add garlic cloves around the chicken and add thyme and bay leaf.
Cook: Cover the skillet and cook over med-low heat for 15-20 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the juices run clear when pierced with a fork. Transfer the chicken and garlic to a platter and cover with foil to keep warm. Discard the bay leaf.
Sauce: Turn the skillet heat to medium-high and add the wine. Cook until the liquid has reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Whisk the cornstarch into the chicken stock and add to the pan. Cook until the sauce has slightly thickened, 2-3 minutes. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper, or herbs, as needed. Remove from heat and stir in remaining 2 tablespoons of butter. Place the chicken on a serving platter and pour sauce over the chicken.
