📋40 Clove Garlic Chicken

chicken thighs and 40 cloves of garlic cooked in a cast iron pan.

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📋40 Clove Garlic Chicken

40 Clove Garlic Chicken is a classic French recipe made by many celebrity chefs and hugely popular for its tender chicken combined with tons of buttery browned garlic cloves. Now don’t fret, with the name “40 clove garlic” - it may look like loads of garlic, but it mellows as it slowly roasts, creating a beautiful sweet and savoury flavour with flavours from fresh thyme and bay leaves. Chicken is smothered in a rich sauce of white wine, corn flour and chicken stock.

Prep Time15

Cook Time20

Total Time35

Course: Dinner, Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine: French

Servings: servings

Calories: 707kcal

Author: Jyothi Rajesh

Ingredients

6-8 chicken thighs with bone and skin
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons of butter + extra
40 cloves garlic peeled
2 bay leaves dried or fresh
6-8 fresh thyme leaves
½ cup dry white wine Cognac, chardonnay, or sauvignon blanc are best
3 teaspoons corn flour
2 cups chicken stock
Salt & pepper – to taste

Instructions

Heat a large cast-iron pan. Add olive oil and butter. Place the chicken thighs, skin-side down, and sear for 5 minutes.
Flip and cook the chicken on the other side for 3 minutes.
Distribute garlic cloves to the pan and spread them across the pan.
Add bay leaves and stick fresh thyme sprigs to the pan between chicken thighs.
Reduce the heat to the lowest setting, then cover the pan with the lid.
Allow chicken to simmer in the fan for 12 to 15 minutes. Note: If using chicken thighs with bones, you have to cook them longer.
Monitor the internal temperature of the chicken for its doneness. If the internal temperature reaches 165°F and clear juices run off the meat, the chicken is cooked.
Transfer chicken and roasted garlic to a plate. Discard bay leaves and thyme.
Cover the chicken with aluminium foil and let it sit.
Into the same pan, pour dry white wine. Whish well and cook it down until it reduces to half.
Whisk corn flour with a little chicken stock. Whisk well until no lumps are left.
Pour into the pan and whisk vigorously until the sauce begins to thicken.
Pour the low-sodium chicken stock into the pan and whisk well. Allow it to cook down a bit until it thickens and coats the back of the ladle.
Remove pan from heat. Adjust the seasoning if needed, add a dash of pepper and salt. And 2 tablespoons of butter.
Whisk until it blends well and turns the sauce velvety, silky smooth.
Arrange roasted chicken thighs and garlic on the sauce. Smother chicken thighs with the sauce. Add a few fresh thyme leaves.
Serves best with a crusty baguette to mop up the sauce. Accompany it with sauteed French beans and mashed potatoes or mashed cauliflower on the side.

Video

Notes

Use a large cast-iron pan or other heavy-duty pan with a covering lid.
Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs = juicier, maximum flavour chicken.
Pat the chicken dry before adding it to the pan to get crispy chicken skin while searing.
Don’t rush the cooking process. Cooking slowly on low heat makes it develop rich flavours.
Butter swirled into the sauce at the end creates a luxurious, restaurant-quality smooth sauce.

Nutritional Info – Please keep in mind that the nutritional information provided is only a rough estimate and can vary greatly based on the products used.

Nutrition