40 Cloves Garlic Chicken
By: Giangi Townsend
Published: Friday, September 24, 2021 - 4:05pm

Ingredients




4 tablespoon olive oil
1 4 pounds chicken cut into 8 pieces
salt and pepper
40 garlic cloves, peeled and hardcore end removed
½ cup extra dry vermouth
¾ cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon

Preparation

1 Heat oven to 350F 2 Heat oil in a 6 quarts Dutch oven pot over medium-high heat. Season the chicken generously with salt and pepper, all sides. Add to pot and cook undisturbed until skin is golden brown, and you can turn the pieces over with no difficulties. Turn only once. 3 Transfer the chicken to a baking dish, 8”x8” dish, set aside. 4 Add garlic to the pot and cook until browned in some spots, about 5 minutes. Add vermouth and cook, scraping the bottom of the pot, until slightly reduced, about 2 minutes. Add the chicken stock and bring it to a boil. Transfer half the garlic cloves to the baking dish. Mash the remaining garlic cloves into stock and pour over the chicken. 5 Bake until glazed and tender, 25 to 30 minutes. Garnish with tarragon and serve.

About

40 cloves garlic chicken. Just writing those words I can smell the aroma that is still lingering in my house. This classic rustic French dish is generously rich in flavor.  An oldie but super yummy recipe that somehow is not gracing our tables as much.
I slightly made a change and from 40 cloves of garlic, I added at least 70 garlic cloves. Do not, however,  let the quantities of garlic intimidate you. Once you have them in the oven they will lose the bite and keep the mellow sweetness. Combined with the extra dry white vermouth. you have a combination that will burst into your mouth with flavor.
Provencal origins, southern France, this dish is so easy to make. It was introduced to this country back in the late 1960 and early 1970 by the great American chef James Beard.
The perfect fall comfort food.