40 Cloves of Garlic Chicken
40 Cloves of Garlic Chicken is a beloved French classic that delivers rich flavor with comforting simplicity. Juicy chicken pieces, mellow roasted garlic, white wine and fresh herbs simmer together to create a deeply aromatic sauce. As the garlic slowly cooks, it turns sweet and buttery. This is an easy, one-pan recipe that moves effortlessly from stovetop, to oven, to your table. Audrey’s notes If you love rustic French comfort food, this 40 Cloves of Garlic Chicken is for you. It’s rustic, elegant, and so delicious for how simple it…
- Prep time
- 20 min
- Cook time
- 1 hr
- Yield
- 6 servings
- Difficulty
- HARD
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- whole chicken (about 4lbs), cut in 8 pieces.
- Salt, pepper for seasoning
- 1/3 cup (42g) All-purpose Flour
- 2 tbsp (28.5g) Unsalted butter
- 2 tbsp (30ml) Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 40 cloves of garlic
- 3 tbsp (45ml) Cognac to deglaze
- 1 cup (250ml) Chicken stock
- 1/2 cup (125ml) Dry white wine
- 8-12 Sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 tbsp (30ml) heavy cream (optional)
Instructions
- 1
About 45 minutes before using, take the chicken out the fridge. Pat dry the pieces all over with paper towel to remove any excess moisture. This will help ensure a nice and crispy skin when cooking. Leave the chicken on the counter to allow to warm up to close to room temperature before cooking.
- 2
Season the chicken with salt and pepper on both sides. Place the 1/3 cup (42g) of flour in a shallow plate and roll each chicken piece in flour to cover evenly. Even easier, throw everything in a freezer bag and shake!
- 3
Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) with a rack in the middle.
- 4
Melt the butter and oil in a large heavy-bottom frying pan over medium heat. Add the chicken pieces and cook for 7-8 minutes on each side, until the skin is crisp and golden. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
- 5
Add the garlic cloves to the same pan and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cloves start to golden lightly.
- 6
Pour the cognac in to deglaze. Use a large wooden spoon to swirl around the garlic cloves and scrape all the bits at the bottom of the pan.
- 7
When the liquid has mostly evaporated, nestle the chicken pieces back into the pan with the garlic cloves around. Pour the chicken stock and white wine into the pan. Top chicken pieces with sprigs of thyme.
- 8
Cover with a lid and place in the oven. Cook for 1 hour and 15 minutes, until the chicken is tender. You can use a small pointy knife to test the tenderness of the chicken. You can remove the lid for the last 10 minutes to get a crisper skin on top.
- 9
Optional: If you want to add heavy cream to enrich the sauce. After you take the dish out of the oven, place it back on the stovetop on a medium-low setting. Transfer the chicken pieces onto a plate, cover with foil. Stir in 2 tablespoons (30ml) of heavy cream to the sauce and simmer for 1 minute. Add the chicken pieces back in and serve.