Monday, October 12, 2009

Forty Clove Chicken




So as you can see I have been MIA. Not for naught! I am preparing a fanciful website to accommodate my hobby! Details are forth coming. *Rubbing hands together* on to the cooking!

It was a cold, cloudy day in H-Town yesterday and nothing but comfort food would do! It is a rare day in Houston when it is cold AND sun-less AND rainy during the fall months! I took full advantage of this opportunity and made some yummy goodness. This chicken cold rocked the party! It used simple flavors and easy techniques. The recipe, which I got from here, made me want to lick my screen when I first saw it! But alas, I maintained my composure until I could chef this up in my own kitchen!

The recipe called for thyme but I used a mixture of thyme and tarragon and I imagine you could use whatever dried herb you had on hand to make this dish. I also used cut up chicken pieces (sans bone in chicken breasts) and cooked this all in one pan. I used more broth than called for because we like it saucy round these parts! The chicken was moist, the garlic was melt in your mouth delicious and the tarragon thyme sauce was divine over wild rice.

This recipe has been officially added to my arsenal! Hope you enjoy!




Forty Garlic Chicken
Adapted from For the Love of Cooking Recipe Blog


8 Chicken pieces (except bone in breasts)
3-4 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Tbsp Dried Thyme
1 Tbsp Dried Tarragon
Salt and pepper to taste
40 cloves of garlic crushed with knife
2-3 Tbsp butter
1 -2 Tbsp all purpose flour
1 can chicken broth
2 Tbsp whole milk

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

Peel and crush 40 cloves of garlic, set aside.

Place chicken pieces (I used 2 legs, 2 thighs and 5 wings) in a large bowl. Pour olive oil over chicken; add salt, pepper, thyme and tarragon. With your hands, mix so that the chicken is pretty evenly coated.

Heat a large skillet over medium high for a few minutes. Place chicken pieces in hot skillet and sear on both sides; about four to five minutes per side. Once seared, move chicken to a plate while you start the sauce.

In the same skillet, lower the heat and add garlic sautéing for 4-5 minutes, stirring often. Add the chicken broth making sure to scrape the bottom of the pan. Add additional thyme and tarragon according to your tastes.

Place chicken back into skillet with juices, cover and bake for about 30-40 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Once chicken has baked, carefully remove chicken and garlic from baking dish to a platter.

Over medium heat add butter, let it melt. Add flour and milk and stir until there are no more lumps, about 2-3 minutes. As sauce begins to thicken either place chicken pieces back into the pan and continue thickening for a few minutes or let sauce thicken and pour over chicken.