Braised Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic

Years ago, while flipping through Cosmo, I came upon mention of a Barefoot Contessa chicken dish with 40 cloves of garlic. Egads! That's a lot of garlic! Apparently, this dish results in a "dinner he'll adore," promised the magazine. The thought of 40 cloves of garlic stayed with me. I don't know why she settled on 40. Why not 25 cloves of garlic? Or 50? I like round numbers. Or to be contrary, 37 cloves of garlic? Well, 40 cloves works out to be about three heads of garlic so maybe that was her round number.

Ever the garlic lover, and dubious of women's magazines that claim a dish will cause men to adore me or engagement proposals, I decided to make this dish and my usual baked chicken recipe but with 40 cloves of garlic. And gosh, don't men adore me anyway? Don't tell me they don't? *Sniffle.*

Braised Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic
Adapted from Ina Garten's Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic from "Barefoot in Paris: Easy French Food You Can Make at Home" via Cosmopolitan Magazine

For 1 chicken, or 8 pieces, you'll need:
1 3-lb chicken, or 8 pieces
3 whole heads garlic, about 40 cloves
1 small onion, diced
3 tsp salt
1 to 2 cups white wine
As many rosemary sprigs as you'd like
1/2 cup flour
1 cup milk
2 tblsp olive oil

This recipe makes enough for one whole chicken, or eight pieces. Since I was saving my whole chicken to make baked chicken with 40 cloves of garlic, I substituted with some drumsticks I had on hand.

I did say 40 cloves of garlic. That's three heads. Just lightly smash the garlic with the side of your knife to loosen the skin and then peel.


On medium-high heat, brown chicken in about 2 tblsp olive oil. Set aside.


Then toss in the peeled garlic and saute until softened.


Toss in as many rosemary sprigs as you'd like.


Add the diced onion and saute again until softened.


Add 1 to 2 cups white wine. If you're not a big wine drinker, sometimes I buy mini-sized bottles. The wine doesn't go to waste and I only use what I need.


Dissolve 1/2 cup flour in 1 cup milk. Stir until the lumps are gone and add it to the pot.


Add the browned chicken back in. Add enough water to just cover the chicken. Turn the heat down to medium-low and let the dish braise for about 45 minutes to an hour. Adjust seasonings if necessary.


I really liked the tender garlic and the gravy-like sauce was perfect for potatoes.


But in all honesty, the dish was just a little boring for me. Perhaps it's because in a head-to-head competition with Baked Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic, Lemon, and Rosemary, especially with dry brining, the baked chicken wins every time.

Enjoy!

Other braised chicken dishes you might like:
Ca Ri Ga (Vietnamese Chicken Curry)
Coq Au Vin (French Chicken with Wine)
Malaysian Mango Chicken Curry
Murgh Makhani (Indian Butter Chicken)

*****
1 year ago today, Ruby's Diner - Commerce.
2 years ago today, L&L Hawaiian Barbecue - La Verne.